The Federal Government has commenced a six-month technical and vocational training programme for 2,549 young Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State as part of efforts to tackle unemployment and promote self-reliance.
The National Project Coordinator of the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills Technical and Vocational Education and Training project, Mrs Blessing Ehi Ogwu, stated this at the joint flag-off of the programme in Abuja on Friday.
The initiative, being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with the World Bank, is designed to equip beneficiaries with practical, technical and digital skills that can improve their chances of securing employment or establishing businesses.
Ogwu urged the beneficiaries to concentrate on acquiring the skills rather than the financial stipends attached to the programme, stressing that competence could provide them with sustainable sources of income.
She said, “The essence is for you to acquire a skill. So, at the end of this training, you don't need to go about begging. You don't need to go about seeking jobs in offices. Once you have a skill, you are better than those of us in the office.”
According to her, the programme would be expanded across the country, with the Federal Government targeting between 70,000 and 80,000 youths through approved Training Service Providers.
She disclosed that participants were required to maintain at least 65 per cent attendance to qualify for the stipends, urging them to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Ogwu said, “We have a policy that you must meet your 65 per cent for you to qualify for your stipend. So, if you don't meet your 65 per cent, you will not get your stipend.”
The IDEAS-TVET project is being delivered through 21 Training Service Providers and is aimed at strengthening technical colleges, improving workshops, developing instructors and providing young Nigerians with skills relevant to the labour market.
The Managing Director of Komtek Engineering Services and Consultancy Limited, Engr. Ejoga O. Inalegwu, said his organisation was training 200 beneficiaries in poultry farming, fishery and aquaculture, and crop production and processing.
He explained that 118 participants were undergoing poultry training, 48 were receiving training in fishery and aquaculture, while 34 were being trained in crop production and processing, adding that all the beneficiaries were also exposed to entrepreneurship training.
Inalegwu said the trainees comprised 157 females and 43 males drawn from the FCT, Niger and neighbouring states, including Kaduna, Kogi and Nasarawa, as well as other parts of the country.
He described the intervention as a significant step towards skills development, poverty reduction and economic empowerment, saying its impact was already being felt by participants and their communities.
Also speaking on behalf of the joint flag-off committee, Ebenezer Azah Chris said vocational training had become essential because government lacked the capacity to provide jobs for the millions of graduates entering the labour market annually.
Chris said the six-month programme consisted of three months of classroom and practical training followed by a three-month internship, expressing optimism that participants would either secure employment or establish businesses after completing the programme.
One of the beneficiaries, Hossana Gbako Apkhere, who is undergoing poultry farming training, said the programme had strengthened her ambition to become an entrepreneur.
She said the training had equipped her with practical knowledge and restored her confidence to become self-reliant, urging the Federal Government to sustain similar interventions for unemployed youths and other Nigerians facing economic hardship.
Another beneficiary, Ogaba Emmanuel, a Bachelor of Engineering graduate undergoing compressed natural gas conversion training with Lanre Shittu Motors, described the programme as an eye-opener.
Emmanuel said the training had deepened his understanding of CNG and its potential to create employment and contribute to Nigeria's energy transition.
He added that increased utilisation of gas could generate economic opportunities while helping to reduce unemployment and gas flaring.
