By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Federal Government has begun technical and vocational skills training for 777 young Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory as part of a broader initiative targeting about 80,000 youths nationwide.
The programme is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Innovation, Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills Project, with support from the World Bank.
Speaking at the flag-off of the third cohort in Abuja on Friday, the First Deputy President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the ACCI Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology Centre, Prof Adesoji Adesugba, said the initiative was designed to address the gap between Nigeria’s growing youth population and the skills required by employers.
Adesugba said, “Nigeria’s challenge is not a shortage of young people. It is a shortage of young people equipped with skills the market is willing to pay for. Our economy does not need more certificates. It needs more competencies.”
He said the programme was focused on practical learning to ensure participants could demonstrate their abilities beyond obtaining certificates.
“That is why this programme is deliberately practical. By the end of it, each trainee will hold not just a certificate, but a portfolio of real work,” he said.
Adesugba urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity, noting that the programme covers their training fees, equipment, facilities and instruction.
The Deputy Director-General of ACCI and Head of the BEST Centre, Dr Tinuke Temitope, said the 777 trainees in Abuja formed part of the approximately 80,000 youths undergoing training across the country under the IDEAS Project.
She said the FCT beneficiaries were selected from seven accredited Training Service Providers and were undergoing training in areas such as digital and creative media, beauty and cosmetology, construction and building trades, agriculture and agribusiness.
Temitope disclosed that the BEST Centre was training 200 beneficiaries in digital media production after receiving more than 800 applications for the available slots.
She said the applicants were assessed based on their previous experience, qualifications and capacity, after which those who met the initial requirements participated in oral interviews.
According to her, the competency-based model was intended to equip participants with practical skills that could translate into employment and self-employment.
“All these 80,000 trainees, the model is that they can do something with their hands. They are not just carrying certificates up and down. They can actually use their hands to do these things,” she said.
Temitope added that ACCI would continue to support beneficiaries after the training through its platforms, including opportunities to join the chamber and develop their businesses.
The seven accredited Training Service Providers participating in the FCT cohort are the ACCI Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology Centre, Onidiri Home of Beauty, Gemological Institute of Nigeria, iLearn Learning Spaces, Germnig Consultants Limited, Dari Investments Limited, and Binley and Bramble in partnership with School Hunters.
The organisers said the initiative was designed to increase access to quality technical and vocational education and training across the country.
Under the current cohort, beneficiaries are receiving competency-based training aligned with National Skills Qualification standards. They are also expected to undergo industry internships and receive support towards employment after completing their training.
