By Isaac Mission
The Federal Government has expanded its youth empowerment and poverty-reduction efforts to Oyo, Enugu and Kebbi states, with plans to train 1,200 young Nigerians in practical and income-generating skills.
The programme is being implemented under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE).
The initiative forms part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the government’s long-term objective of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a decade.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on TVEE, Dr. Abiola Arogundade, said the programme was founded on the conviction that young Nigerians could play a central role in addressing the country’s economic challenges.
She described youths as an important part of the solution to Nigeria’s development challenges rather than a burden on the economy.
The programme followed a pilot training held in Abuja on June 30, 2025, where young participants received training in areas including cybersecurity, web development and solar energy installation.
Arogundade said the pilot demonstrated the impact of hands-on training, noting that participants who initially had little confidence eventually developed practical skills, including the ability to create websites and understand basic digital security.
The Abuja pilot also attracted considerable interest, recording more than 7,000 applications from young Nigerians seeking opportunities to acquire employable skills.
Following the response, the Federal Government decided to extend the initiative to other parts of the country. Each participating state will select 200 beneficiaries for intensive training lasting between 10 days and two weeks.
The training programmes will be adapted to reflect the economic opportunities, market demands and interests of young people in each state.
In Oyo State, the programme is scheduled to commence on September 28, 2026, and will run for two weeks, with classes holding daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants will be trained in Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Design, Makeup and Fashion Designing.
Beneficiaries in Enugu will receive training in Makeup, Solar Energy Installation and Fashion Designing. The solar energy component will cover areas such as panel installation, maintenance and off-grid energy solutions.
In Kebbi, the training will focus on Graphics/AI Design, Fashion Designing and Agriculture. The agricultural component will expose participants to yoghurt production, dairy processing, packaging and small-scale agribusiness.
The Federal Government will also provide starter kits to enable beneficiaries to immediately put their newly acquired skills to use after completing the programme.
Those trained in Graphics/AI Design will receive laptops, while makeup trainees will be provided with complete makeup kits. Fashion trainees will receive sewing machines and other starter materials, while participants in yoghurt production will receive fermentation kits.
According to OSSAP-TVEE, the provision of starter equipment is intended to address the common challenge of young people completing skills programmes without the resources required to begin earning from their training.
Arogundade urged state governments, traditional institutions, community leaders and private-sector organisations to support the programme as it expands to additional parts of the country.
She said the initiative would help tackle unemployment and underemployment, create pathways to self-employment and strengthen the Federal Government’s broader efforts to reduce poverty among Nigerians.