The Federal Government says it plans to lift five million young Nigerians out of poverty through its skills acquisition and empowerment programmes.
The initiative, implemented under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), aims to equip young people with practical, market-relevant skills to improve their employability and economic independence.
Dr Abiola Arogundade, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), who coordinates the programme, disclosed this on Monday in Ibadan at the start of its Oyo State phase, which runs from September 28 to October 9.
She said the training reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to empowering Nigerians through technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education.
Arogundade said the programme began in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has now moved to Oyo State, and will be extended to other states and geopolitical zones.
In the Oyo phase, 200 young Nigerians are being trained in Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), makeup artistry and fashion designing. Thirty participants are in the Graphics/AI track, while 85 each are learning makeup artistry and fashion designing.
She said the programme goes beyond skills acquisition, noting that beneficiaries will be connected to organisations and business opportunities to help them build sustainable livelihoods.
“We are training 200 people. We will also be distributing 500 tablets during the grand finale as part of the Federal Government’s digital empowerment drive. We are directly empowering 700 people in this programme and there will be a multiplier effect,” she said.
She added: “We are not just training them for themselves but for their communities, for the population, and for all the states in Nigeria.”
Arogundade urged participants to take the training seriously and use their skills to empower others in their communities.
“I want to encourage them to know that President Bola Tinubu is thinking about all young Nigerians in the country and is ready to address their plight,” she said.
At the end of the training, participants will receive laptops, sewing machines and fully equipped makeup kits to help them start their own businesses.
Earlier, the keynote speaker for the Graphics/AI training, Mrs Oluronke Shonubi, said the growing adoption of AI offers Nigeria opportunities to accelerate development, improve employability and prepare young people for emerging jobs.
One of the beneficiaries, Idowu Olalere, a 400-level student of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), thanked the Federal Government for the opportunity to acquire emerging digital skills. He said the training would help close the gap between existing skills and labour market demands.
Two other beneficiaries, Mrs Iyabo Ajayi, a makeup trainee, and Fatunbi Joshua, a fashion designing trainee, also expressed gratitude. They voiced optimism that the initiative would help reduce unemployment by giving participants practical skills and opportunities for self-employment.
The programme is part of the Federal Government’s wider efforts to promote inclusive economic growth, reduce poverty and expand opportunities for young Nigerians through technical and vocational education.
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