The Federal Government has kicked off a six-month technical and vocational training programme for 2,549 youths in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Niger State, part of a broader World Bank–backed initiative aimed at turning skills acquisition into a pathway to employment and entrepreneurship.
The initiative falls under the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IDEAS-TVET) project, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education with World Bank support.
It engages 21 accredited Training Service Providers to deliver market-driven training in vocational, technical and digital skills.
The six-month programme is structured as three months of classroom and hands-on training followed by a three-month industry internship, with participants working toward National Skills Qualification (NDQ) certification
Officials say the current cohort is part of a scaling effort that could ultimately train between 70,000 and 80,000 young Nigerians across multiple states.
At the joint flag-off ceremony in Abuja, National Project Coordinator Blessing Ogwu urged beneficiaries to prioritise skill mastery over the monthly stipends attached to the programme.
She said skilled youths could earn more independently than salaried workers if they committed to their training.
To qualify for the stipend, trainees must maintain at least 65 per cent attendance each month; those who fall short will not receive the allowance, she stated.
The monthly stipend under the programme is N30,000.
Managing Director of Komtek Engineering Services and Consultancy Limited, Engr. Ejoga Inalegwu, described IDEAS-TVET as a major intervention in skills acquisition and poverty reduction.
His organisation is training 200 beneficiaries in three agricultural value chains: poultry (118 trainees), fishery and aquaculture (48), and crop production and processing (34).
All participants also receive entrepreneurship training, with the cohort drawn from the FCT, Niger and neighbouring states including Kaduna, Kogi and Nasarawa.
Of the 200 trainees under Komtek, 157 are female and 43 male, based in the rural community of Kuchiko Ijah in Niger State.
Ebenezer Azah, speaking for the joint flag-off committee, underscored the limits of public-sector hiring in the face of roughly 2.1 million graduates produced annually.
“The government cannot employ everybody, but if they have skills, they will stay off the streets,” she said.
Hossana Gbako Apkhere, a poultry farming trainee with Komtek, said the programme had reshaped her outlook toward entrepreneurship.
“My expectation is to become an entrepreneur”, adding that “The training has given us knowledge and taught us how to stand on our own”.
Ogaba Emmanuel, a Bachelor of Engineering graduate undergoing CNG conversion training with Lanre Shittu Motors, called the initiative an “eye-opener,” particularly in compressed natural gas (CNG) technologies.
He noted that wider CNG adoption could create jobs while offering an alternative to conventional fuels and reducing gas flaring.
The IDEAS project, launched in 2022, has already trained about 80,000 Nigerians through TSPs nationwide and upskilled roughly 4,000 technical teachers and instructors.
It also seeks to modernise technical colleges, upgrade workshops and align training with labour-market needs.
Providers are held to performance benchmarks: final payments are contingent on demonstrating that 30–40 per cent of trainees secure paid employment or start businesses, reinforcing the programme’s focus on real-world outcomes.
