Poverty Reduction: FG Flags Off Skills Training in Oyo

Poverty Reduction: FG Flags Off Skills Training in Oyo

..to shares laptops, sewing machines, makeup kits and other devices to Beneficiaries

THE Federal Government has commenced another phase of its National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRDS) training and empowerment programme in Oyo State, targeting five million Nigerians for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and technology-driven opportunities over the next four years, Voice Air Media reports.

Speaking on Tuesday in Ibadan at the commencement of the programme, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (TVEE), Dr Abiola Arogundade, said the initiative was designed not only to train beneficiaries but also connect them with opportunities capable of generating sustainable incomes.

Arogundade said the programme, which started in the Federal Capital Territory before expanding to other states, was part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to tackle poverty by equipping Nigerians with practical and marketable skills.

“What we want to do, and what the President wants to do, is to move as many people out of poverty as possible,” she said.

She disclosed that 200 people were undergoing training in Oyo, while 500 devices were being provided, bringing the number of people directly empowered under the current intervention to 700.

According to her, the impact is expected to extend beyond the direct beneficiaries through a multiplier effect, with participants encouraged to transfer the knowledge acquired to others in their communities.

The 10-day training, which began on Monday, is scheduled to end on October 9, 2026, with Arogundade urging beneficiaries to take the sessions seriously and continue upgrading their skills after the programme.

She said beneficiaries should see themselves as potential agents of change rather than recipients of one-off government intervention.

“Don’t use it as a one-man solution or one-man empowerment. There’s a multiplier effect. Train your neighbours, train your community people, and also continue to impact and learn more,” she said.

The programme also featured training in artificial intelligence, with the principal consultant of P4 Change Consultants and keynote speaker, Oluronke Shonubi, stressing the growing importance of AI skills in the global economy.

Shonubi said the increasing deployment of AI in sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and automobiles in major economies underscored the need for Nigeria to equip its young population with relevant digital skills.

She urged beneficiaries to apply the knowledge gained to their careers, build portfolios and explore opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment.

Shonubi also called for sustained investment in AI training and public awareness, saying many Nigerians were still unfamiliar with the technology and its responsible applications.

One of the beneficiaries, Olaleye Idowu, a graphic designer and 400-level International Relations student of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, said the training would enable him to improve his services and transition into the technology sector.

Idowu said his ambition was to become a professional AI prompt engineer within five years and subsequently train and employ others.

The intervention also includes vocational training, with 85 participants expected to graduate as certified makeup artists.

A trainer and Chief Executive Officer of Chuchu’s Glamour, Rukayat Muhammad, said participants were being trained in makeup techniques, product selection, sanitation and other fundamentals of professional makeup artistry.

She said beneficiaries would also receive equipment and products to support their businesses after the training, urging them to practise consistently and develop the skills into sustainable livelihoods.

The Oyo intervention combines digital skills, vocational training and entrepreneurship, reflecting the Federal Government’s strategy of using technical and vocational education as a pathway to employment, self-employment and poverty reduction.

Arogundade said the programme would continue across other states, with subsequent interventions tailored to the skills needs of each location.