By Chesa Chesa
The Federal Government has expanded the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) to Enugu, Oyo and Kebbi states, with 600 youths expected to receive training in practical and market-driven skills.
The programme, implemented by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), is part of the government’s broader effort to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years through economic growth and targeted social protection.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on TVEE, Dr Abiola Arogundade, said the initiative was a central pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which recognises Nigerian youths as critical to solving the country’s economic and developmental challenges.
Arogundade said the programme’s pilot phase, launched in Abuja on June 30, 2025, had demonstrated strong demand, attracting more than 7,000 applications.
She said participants in the 10-day pilot training were equipped with skills in cybersecurity, web development and solar energy installation, adding that many who initially expressed scepticism eventually developed practical projects, including websites, and acquired knowledge of digital security.
According to her, the graduates were also presented with laptops and certificates of completion.
The national rollout will cover Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with each zone hosting 200 trainees in training programmes lasting between 10 days and two weeks.
She said the skills to be taught in each location were selected based on local market demand, relevance and the preferences of participants, bringing the number of beneficiaries in the initial nationwide phase to 1,200 youths.
In Oyo State, the South-West hub will commence training on September 28, 2026, with daily sessions from 9am to 5pm for two weeks.
Participants will be trained in graphics and artificial intelligence design, makeup and fashion designing.
In Enugu, the South-East hub will provide training in makeup, solar energy installation and fashion designing. The solar component will cover panel installation, maintenance and off-grid solutions.
Kebbi, the North-West hub, will offer training in graphics and AI design, fashion design and agriculture, with a focus on yoghurt production, dairy processing, packaging and small-scale agribusiness.
Arogundade said participants would receive complete training kits which they would take home after completing their programmes.
The kits include laptops for graphics and AI trainees, fully equipped makeup kits, sewing machines and starter packs for fashion trainees, and fermentation kits for those trained in yoghurt production.
