The Federal Government says its skills acquisition and empowerment programmes are aimed at lifting five million young Nigerians out of poverty while creating sustainable livelihoods.
Dr Abiola Arogundade, Senior Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), said this on Monday in Ibadan as the Oyo State phase of the programme began. The training will run from September 28 to October 9.
The programme, under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), provides practical skills to improve employability and economic independence. It started in the Federal Capital Territory and will move to other states and geopolitical zones.
In Oyo, 200 youths are being trained in Graphics/AI, makeup artistry and fashion designing. Thirty are in Graphics/AI, while 85 each are learning makeup and fashion design.
Arogundade said beneficiaries would also be linked with organisations and business opportunities.
“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.
She urged participants to use the opportunity to help others.
“I want to just encourage them to do their best.
“I want to encourage them to know that President Bola Tinubu is thinking about all Nigerians, all young Nigerians in the country and ready to address their plights,” she said.
The programme will also provide laptops, sewing machines and fully equipped makeup kits to support participants’ businesses.
