The Federal Government has commenced a vocational and digital skills training programme in Oyo State as part of efforts to equip young Nigerians with the tools needed to create businesses, generate income and achieve economic independence. The training, organised under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), began on Monday, September 28, 2026, at the Kensington Adebutu Hall, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Ibadan.
The programme, which will run until October 9, is focused on three areas: Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), makeup and fashion designing. 200 selected youths are participating in the current training, with the objective of providing them with the means to turn those skills into sustainable sources of income. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Abiola Arogundade, said the initiative was designed to help Nigerians move from poverty to prosperity by giving them practical skills they could use to build their own businesses.
According to Arogundade, the aim of the programme is to lift five million Nigerians out of poverty into prosperity. Participants trained in AI and graphic design could use their skills to provide services for individuals and organisations, creating multiple income opportunities for themselves. Arogundade explained that a fashion trainee, for instance, could use the sewing machine provided after the training to begin producing clothes, attract customers and gradually build a business.
The organisers have also incorporated equipment provision into the programme to enable participants to apply their skills after completing the training. Graphics and AI trainees will receive laptops, while those undergoing makeup training will receive fully equipped makeup kits. Fashion designing participants will receive sewing machines and starter kits to help them begin working immediately after the programme.
One of the beneficiaries in the Artificial Intelligence unit, Akin Sunday, described the training as insightful, saying the programme had exposed participants to the growing importance of AI and digital technology. Sunday said the training began with an introduction to artificial intelligence, while the keynote session highlighted the importance of preparing young people for the changing technological landscape.
The programme is expected to conclude with the October 9 graduation and empowerment event, as the Federal Government continues to promote vocational training, entrepreneurship and digital skills as part of its poverty reduction strategy. The graduation and grand finale will also see 500 tablets distributed to young Nigerians as part of the Federal Government’s digital empowerment drive.
The beneficiaries have commended the Federal Government and Arogundade for bringing the empowerment programme to Oyo State, describing the training as an opportunity to acquire practical skills that could help them become self-reliant. The programme aims to have a multiplier effect, helping one person establish a sustainable livelihood and gradually affecting other members of their family.
Key points
- The programme aims to lift five million Nigerians out of poverty into prosperity.
- 200 youths are participating in the current training in Oyo State.
- The programme will conclude with a graduation and empowerment event on October 9.
