FG to lift 5m Nigerians out of poverty through skills acquisition

The federal government has said it 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), is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical, market-relevant skills to enhance their economic independence and employability.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE) and coordinator of the programme, Dr Abiola Arogundade, stated this in Ibadan at the commencement of the programme’s Oyo state phase which will run from September 28 to October 9.

She said the training is part of President Tinubu’s commitment to empowering 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 are being trained in Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), makeup artistry and fashion designing.

Of the beneficiaries, 30 participants are undergoing training in Graphics/AI, while 85 each are receiving training in makeup artistry and fashion designing.

Arogundade 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.

“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 said.