The Federal Government will train and equip 200 Oyo youths with practical and marketable skills under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), as part of a wider effort to expand access to vocational training, entrepreneurship opportunities and productive tools for young Nigerians. The programme will begin in Oyo State on September 28 and run until October 9, 2026, with beneficiaries receiving training in areas that include graphics and artificial intelligence (AI), makeup and fashion designing.
The initiative is being implemented through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), which is overseeing the vocational and entrepreneurship component of the programme. According to the Federal Government, the Oyo phase forms part of a broader expansion of the NPRGS that will take practical skills training and start-up support to other parts of the country.
200 Oyo Youths to Receive Skills and Start-Up Tools
Under the programme, participants will choose from three main training areas: Graphics and Artificial Intelligence, Makeup, and Fashion Designing, with the government also providing equipment that corresponds with the skills being taught so that beneficiaries can use their new knowledge for business activities after the training.
Graphics and AI trainees will receive laptops, giving them access to the equipment required for digital design and related activities, while participants in the makeup track will receive fully equipped makeup kits that can support them as they begin offering professional services. Fashion Designing trainees, meanwhile, will receive sewing machines and starter kits to help them move from training into practical work and entrepreneurship.
The government said the provision of these tools is intended to take the programme beyond classroom-based skills acquisition by giving beneficiaries productive assets that they can use to establish or expand their chosen enterprises. Rather than ending with training alone, the intervention combines instruction with equipment that can help participants apply what they have learned in a commercial setting.
The Oyo programme will also run daily during the training period, with reports indicating that participants are expected to undergo intensive sessions as the government seeks to give them practical exposure in their selected fields. The approach reflects the broader NPRGS strategy of linking vocational training with economic opportunities and tools that can support income-generating activities.
The government has also said the wider programme will respond to local economic needs, with training areas selected according to market relevance and the interests of participants, rather than applying exactly the same skills curriculum to every location. The broader expansion is expected to cover Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with each participating state hosting a group of beneficiaries as the initiative grows.
FG to Distribute 500 Tablets at Graduation
The training will conclude with a graduation and grand finale on October 9, when the Federal Government plans to distribute 500 tablets to young Nigerians as part of its digital empowerment drive.
The tablet distribution will complement the vocational training by giving more young Nigerians access to digital devices, although the tablets are separate from the laptops being provided to participants in the Graphics and AI training track. The government has presented the wider intervention as part of its efforts to expand access to practical skills, productive tools and opportunities that can support sustainable livelihoods.
The Oyo phase is also expected to serve as part of the wider rollout of the NPRGS across the country. The State House said the programme will be replicated across the six geopolitical zones to widen access to skills training, start-up tools and livelihood opportunities for more young Nigerians.
The Federal Government previously expanded the NPRGS to Oyo, Enugu and Kebbi as part of a national rollout, with the State House saying the initial expansion would provide training for 1,200 young Nigerians across the three states. The skills offered in each location are being selected based on local market demand, relevance and the preferences of trainees.
For the 200 Oyo youths participating in the current phase, the combination of vocational instruction and direct provision of equipment means the programme will focus not only on learning a skill but also on giving beneficiaries tools they can use after completing the training. The Federal Government said the broader initiative will promote skills development and entrepreneurship as pathways to greater economic participation and improved livelihoods among Nigerian youths.
