Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The federal government, yesterday, hinted of plans to lift five million young Nigerians out of poverty through its skills acquisition and empowerment programmes aimed at promoting sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative, being implemented under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), was designed to equip young Nigerians with practical, market-relevant skills to enhance their economic independence and employability.
Senior Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE) and coordinator of the programme, Dr. Abiola Arogundade, made this known in Ibadan at the commencement of the Oyo State phase of the programme, which will run from September 28 to October 9, 2026.
According to her, the training is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to empower Nigerians through technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education.
Arogundade said the programme, which commenced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had moved to Oyo State and would be extended to other states and geopolitical zones across the country.
Under the Oyo State phase, 200 young Nigerians were being trained in Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), makeup artistry and fashion designing.
Of the beneficiaries, 30 participants were undergoing training in Graphics/AI, while 85 each were receiving training in makeup artistry and fashion designing.
The presidential aide said the initiative went beyond skills acquisition, adding that beneficiaries would be connected to organisations and business opportunities to support their transition into sustainable livelihoods.
Her words: “So with this programme, we are training 200 people. We will also be distributing 500 tablets during the grand finale of the programme as part of the federal government’s digital empowerment drive.
“We are directly empowering 700 people in this programme and there will be multiplier effect. We are not just training them for themselves but we are training them for their communities, for the population, and for all the states in Nigeria.”
She urged participants to take the training seriously, maximise the opportunity and use their newly acquired skills to empower others within their communities.
“I want to just encourage them to do their best. I want to encourage them to know that President Bola Tinubu is thinking about all Nigerians, all young Nigerians in the country and ready to address their plights,” she said.
Arogundade reiterated the federal government’s commitment to creating opportunities for young Nigerians to become economically self-reliant through practical training and entrepreneurship development.
Earlier, keynote speaker for the Graphics/AI training, Mrs Oluronke Shonubi, said the growing adoption of artificial intelligence presented Nigeria with opportunities to accelerate development, improve employability and prepare young people for emerging jobs.
One of the beneficiaries, a 400-level student of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Idowu Olalere, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for providing young Nigerians with opportunities to acquire emerging digital skills.
Two other beneficiaries, Mrs Iyabo Ajayi, a makeup trainee, and Fatunbi Joshua, a fashion designing trainee, also expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the opportunity.