The Federal Government of Nigeria has equipped 70 digital media managers with tablets to enhance grassroots communication and increase public awareness of its vocational, entrepreneurship, and digital empowerment programmes. This initiative was unveiled in Abuja during a media information and empowerment meeting with digital media practitioners. The programme aims to improve the dissemination of information on the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), vocational training, entrepreneurship, and digital empowerment programmes.
The initiative was spearheaded by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE). Senior Special Assistant to the President on TVEE, Dr. Abiola Arogundade, presented the tablets to the beneficiaries. She emphasized that empowering media practitioners is crucial to ensuring that government interventions reach communities. According to her, the media plays a critical role in making government programmes known to potential beneficiaries.
Dr. Abiola Arogundade highlighted the importance of effective communication in making government programmes successful. She stated that without media practitioners, many potential beneficiaries might never know about existing opportunities. The Federal Government is taking deliberate steps to empower media personnel to ensure that its programmes reach young Nigerians, entrepreneurs, and other potential beneficiaries across the country.
The government is also addressing the digital access gap confronting young Nigerians, artisans, trained professionals, and small entrepreneurs who possess skills but lack the devices required to deploy them effectively. According to Dr. Arogundade, access to digital devices can determine whether skills acquired through government training translate into sustainable economic opportunities. She noted that digital devices are essential tools for finding new customers and turning training into certification.
The presidential aide announced plans to take digital devices and skills training to states across the country as part of efforts to expand participation in the digital and vocational economy. She urged the beneficiaries to deploy the tablets productively, particularly by amplifying information on government programmes and linking potential beneficiaries with available opportunities. Dr. Arogundade emphasized the importance of the media in passing government messages to the world.
Dr. Arogundade also announced plans to subsequently engage print and broadcast media practitioners, saying the wider media ecosystem must be involved in taking information on government interventions to the grassroots. She called for robust coverage of the forthcoming NPRGS Oyo State phase, scheduled for September 28 to October 9, 2026. This initiative is part of the administration’s grassroots vocational and entrepreneurship empowerment drive.
The initiative is part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to expand access to vocational skills, digital tools, entrepreneurship opportunities, and timely information, particularly among Nigerians at the grassroots. The government aims to ensure that its programmes and opportunities are known to all Nigerians, not just those in Abuja. The empowerment of media personnel is a deliberate effort to ensure that government interventions reach communities and potential beneficiaries.
Key points
- The Nigerian government has equipped 70 digital media managers with tablets to enhance grassroots communication and public awareness of its programmes.
- The initiative aims to improve the dissemination of information on vocational training, entrepreneurship, and digital empowerment programmes.
- The government plans to engage print and broadcast media practitioners to expand its outreach to the grassroots.
