The Nigerian Government is set to empower 200 youths in Oyo State with practical, marketable skills and start-up tools aimed at improving their economic prospects and supporting sustainable livelihoods.
The training programme to be carried out through the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, NPRGS, is being implemented under the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, OSSAP-TVEE, will run from September 28 to October 9, 2026.
The initiative will commence with the Oyo State phase and will subsequently be replicated across the six geopolitical zones of the country to widen access to vocational training, start-up tools and sustainable livelihood opportunities for more young Nigerians.
Participants will be trained across three tracks – Graphics and Artificial Intelligence, AI; Makeup; and Fashion Designing — with each beneficiary also receiving a complete training kit to enable them to start or expand their chosen enterprise after the programme.
Under the scheme, the Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Abiola Arogundade, said trainees in Graphics and AI will receive laptops, while those undergoing Makeup training will be provided with fully equipped makeup kits.
Participants in Fashion Designing will receive sewing machines and starter kits to support their transition from training to entrepreneurship and self-employment.
The programme will culminate in a graduation ceremony and grand finale scheduled for October 9, 2026.
As part of the Nigerian Government’s wider digital empowerment drive, 500 tablets will also be distributed to young Nigerians during the grand finale.
Arogundade said the initiative underscores the Nigerian Government’s commitment to equipping young Nigerians with practical skills, tools and opportunities required to build sustainable livelihoods.
Through the NPRGS, the Nigerian Government is also strengthening skills development and entrepreneurship as pathways to greater economic participation and improved livelihoods among Nigerian youths.
