Lola Hair and Beauty College holds graduation for 14 students

Lola Hair and Beauty College, a private vocational training institution based in Accra, held a graduation ceremony for 14 students on Friday, 26th April.

Three of the graduates were male students who specialised in hair locking, while the remaining eleven studied hairdressing.

Speaking at the brief but colourful event held on the college's premises, the guest speaker, acting Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Obuabia Darko-Opoku, congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to apply the skills they had acquired to become self-employed and attain financial independence.

She commended the students for choosing to pursue a trade, stating, “It is always good to learn something with your hands. I always say that beauty begins in the mind; what you dream of is what you become. If you sit at home saying you don’t want to learn a trade and expect money to come from somewhere, that’s how you end up idle and struggling. But when you decide to start somewhere, you can always grow from there. It is always good to learn something.”

Madam Darko-Opoku also urged the graduates to embrace innovation and keep up with new trends to remain competitive in the industry.

“These days, people offer door-to-door services and home visits; explore those opportunities,” she advised.

She challenged the misconception that TVET and trade education are only for those who are academically weak, saying, “I think it’s a wrong impression. Many people who have completed university, even up to PhD level, return to the beauty sector. It’s not only those with formal education who succeed in the corporate world.”

She also highlighted that the graduates’ skills align with the government's Adwumapa Apprenticeship Programme and called for greater collaboration between the college and relevant authorities.

The founder of the institution, Reverend Minister Latifa Adekanla, also addressed the gathering.

She said, “This institution is not just a school; it is a movement—a movement that believes our young men and women deserve quality vocational education. It is a movement that sees vocational training not as a second choice but as a powerful path to purpose and prosperity.”

“May you go out there and shine—light up the world,” she added.

The event also served as the official inauguration of the institution, which has been operating for the past eight years.

Rev. Latifa explained that she founded the school to support those interested in the TVET sector rather than formal academic routes.

During the ceremony, she also launched a non-profit organisation, Lola Hope Foundation Ghana, aimed at helping brilliant but financially disadvantaged students to access formal and informal education.