NSIPA: FG flags off vocational training for over 18,000 artisans nationwide

…as training commences in 229 skill acquisition centres, Tuesday

The federal government has flagged off vocational and skills acquisition training for 18,000 artisans across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of ongoing efforts aimed at addressing youth unemployment.

Speaking during the official flag-off of Vocational and Skills Training Programme organized by National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s resolve towards 

He said, “One of the key reasons why we are doing this flag-off is to ensure that over 18,000 Nigerians are empowered through skill acquisition so that they can get into that pathway from vulnerability to self-sustainability.”

While noting that the training will last for two weeks, the Minister added that the target beneficiaries are people who have acquired “some sort of soft skills already. And they will be up-skilled and then given tools so that they can begin to trade with it.”

He further assured that the agency has put necessary safeguard measures in place for monitoring and evaluation framework, adding that the Ministry is to adopt digital tracking system of all the beneficiaries.

While giving an overview of the initiatives, NSIPA National Coordinator/CEO, Associate Professor Badamasi Lawal, disclosed that the training will commence tomorrow in 229 centers across the 36 States of the Federation and FCT, adding that the implementation will be decentralized across the six geopolitical zones using accredited Government Technical Colleges, vocational institutions, and approved training centres.

The Programme offers competency-based training in fourteen high-demand vocational trades, namely: Automobile Technology, Agricultural Technology (Agri-Tech), Baking and Confectionery, Carpentry and Furniture Making, Cooks and Catering Services, Electrical Installation, Housekeeping and Hospitality Services, Jewellery and Bead Making, Masonry, Plumbing, Welding and Fabrication, Fashion Design and Sewing, Grinding machine Operations, Vulcanizing and Tyre Services.

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In addition to technical skills, beneficiaries will receive entrepreneurship development training covering business management, financial literacy, customer relations, cooperative development, digital literacy, and enterprise sustainability. Successful participants will receive trade-specific starter packs to facilitate immediate business start-up. 

According to him, under the current arrangement, beneficiaries are being selected through a transparent and inclusive process involving the National Assembly, state governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community development associations, youth and women groups, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and other critical stakeholders. 

Priority is being given to unemployed youths, women, vulnerable persons, and economically disadvantaged Nigerians who possess the capacity and commitment to establish sustainable livelihoods after training.

The Programme was conceived in response to rising youth unemployment, limited access to vocational education, and the need to utilize valuable vocational starter packs that had remained in warehouses across the country due to administrative and operational challenges. Their prolonged storage resulted in deterioration of equipment and increasing warehouse rental liabilities. 

Rather than allowing these public assets to depreciate, the federal government has approved their refurbishment, deployment, and distribution to qualified beneficiaries after practical skills training. This initiative will transform dormant assets into productive tools for job creation, enterprise development, and poverty reduction while supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and local economic growth.

While noting that all the equipment handed over to the beneficiaries would be tracked, he warned them not to sell “these items to people who haven’t been trained.

In his remarks, National Programme Manager, Dr. Nsikak Amos Okon explained that the Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme was conceived as the strategic response to the growing need for market-driven vocational education and enterprise development.

“The program is designed to equip beneficiaries with practical skills in high-demand vocational trades, including automobile technology, agricultural technology, packing and confectionery, carpentry, cooks, catering, electrical installation, housekeeping, jewelry and bead making, basonry, plumbing, welding and fabrication, fashion designers, sewing, grinding services, and organizing.

“In addition to technical skills acquisition, participants will receive entrepreneurship training, business management education, financial literacy, and mentorship to prepare them for successful self-employment and enterprise development.

“Upon successful completion of the training, beneficiaries will receive trade-specific starter packs to facilitate their immediate transition into productive economic activities.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this program is not merely about vocational training. It is about restoring hope, unlocking opportunities, building self-reliance, and empowering Nigerians to become productive, build, and contribute to the future,” Dr. Okon noted.