The Nigerian Government has commenced the Oyo State phase of its skills acquisition and empowerment programme, targeting five million young Nigerians nationwide with practical training, entrepreneurship opportunities and productive tools.
The initiative is being implemented under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) and is designed to equip beneficiaries with market-relevant skills while connecting them to opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods and businesses.
The Oyo phase began on Monday, September 28, in Ibadan and will run until October 9, 2026. It follows the commencement of the programme in the Federal Capital Territory, with plans to extend the intervention to other states and geopolitical zones.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Abiola Arogundade, announced the commencement of the programme during the Oyo training.
A total of 200 participants are receiving training in graphics and artificial intelligence, makeup artistry and fashion design. Of the beneficiaries, 30 are undergoing training in graphics and AI, while 85 participants each are being trained in makeup artistry and fashion design.
Arogundade said the programme would go beyond skills acquisition by connecting beneficiaries with organisations and business opportunities that could help them turn their skills into sustainable sources of income.
She also announced that 500 tablets would be distributed at the grand finale as part of the Federal Government’s digital empowerment efforts. This will bring the number of people directly reached through the training and device distribution components of the Oyo intervention to 700.
The government is also providing start-up tools to enable beneficiaries to put their newly acquired skills into practice. Participants in the graphics and AI training are expected to receive laptops, while fashion design trainees will receive sewing machines and makeup trainees will receive fully equipped makeup kits.
The combination of practical training and productive tools is intended to create pathways into self-employment, freelance work and small business development, particularly in sectors experiencing growing demand for digital and creative services.
Speaking during the graphics and AI training, keynote speaker Mrs Oluronke Shonubi said the growing adoption of artificial intelligence was creating opportunities to improve employability and prepare young Nigerians for emerging jobs.
She encouraged beneficiaries to apply their knowledge to their careers and businesses, build relevant portfolios and continue developing their skills as technology evolves.
One of the beneficiaries, Idowu Olaleye, a graphic designer and 400-level International Relations student at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, said the programme would help bridge the gap between existing skills and the changing demands of the labour market.
He said the training had introduced participants to the fundamentals and applications of AI and could help him improve the services he provides to clients as he develops his career.
The vocational training component is also expected to create opportunities for participants to establish businesses around their newly acquired skills.
Makeup trainer and CEO of Chuchu’s Glamour, Rukayat Muhammad, said 85 participants were being trained in makeup techniques, product knowledge, sanitation and professional practice.
She said the trainees would receive equipment and products to support their work and noted that consistent application of the skills could help them build sustainable businesses.
The Federal Government said the programme is expected to have an impact beyond the immediate beneficiaries. Arogundade urged participants to use the knowledge acquired to train others and contribute to skills development within their communities.
The intervention forms part of the government’s broader efforts under the NPRGS to reduce poverty, promote inclusive economic growth and expand access to technical, vocational and entrepreneurship education.
By combining practical skills, digital training, start-up equipment and connections to business opportunities, the programme aims to help young Nigerians move beyond skills acquisition into income generation, self-employment and wider participation in the economy.
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