The Federal Government has empowered 700 beneficiaries in Oyo State with vocational skills, business starter kits and digital devices under its National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), as the administration targets lifting five million Nigerians out of poverty over the next four years.
The beneficiaries completed a 10-day intensive training and empowerment programme organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE).
The programme, which ran from September 28 to October 9, 2026, ended with a graduation ceremony on Friday at Kensington Adebutu Hall, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Abiola Arogundade, said the initiative was designed to equip Nigerians with practical skills and productive resources to establish sustainable livelihoods rather than depend on temporary assistance.
The intervention forms part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s skills acquisition and poverty reduction agenda, which seeks to help five million Nigerians escape poverty through vocational education, entrepreneurship and access to economic opportunities.
How the 700 beneficiaries were empowered
According to Arogundade, the Oyo programme covered three vocational training categories, alongside a digital empowerment component.
Of the 700 beneficiaries, 30 received training in artificial intelligence (AI) and graphics design, while 85 participated in makeup artistry and another 85 underwent fashion design training.
The three vocational categories accounted for 200 participants, while an additional 500 beneficiaries received digital devices to support their participation in the digital economy.
The resources provided included laptops for graphics and AI trainees, makeup kits for makeup artists, sewing machines and starter kits for fashion designers, as well as digital tablets for beneficiaries under the digital empowerment component.
The intervention is intended to bridge the gap between skills acquisition and practical economic activity by giving beneficiaries tools they can use to pursue employment, establish businesses or expand existing enterprises.
Arogundade said the initiative reflected the President’s belief that young Nigerians needed opportunities, marketable skills and productive tools to compete in an evolving economy.
“What we want to do, and what the President wants to do, is to move as many people out of poverty as possible,” she said.
“Mr President believes that our young people do not simply need assistance. They need opportunity. They need skills. They need the tools to compete and build sustainable livelihoods. And that is what today represents.”
The presidential aide added that the government was investing in the beneficiaries’ capacity to create better futures for themselves rather than merely distributing certificates or electronic devices.
Arogundade urges beneficiaries to create jobs
Arogundade challenged the beneficiaries to convert the training and equipment they received into sustainable businesses, employment opportunities and improved living conditions for their families.
She also urged them to extend the benefits of the programme to other members of their communities by sharing their knowledge and helping others acquire relevant skills.
“What you receive today is not the destination. It is the beginning. Take the skills you have learnt. Take the tools you have received, and build something with them,” she said.
She encouraged the beneficiaries to create businesses, generate jobs and support their families, adding that successful participants should provide opportunities for others.
“That is the multiplier effect that we are building into your lives. That is how we reduce poverty. That is how we create growth. And that is how we build the Nigeria we all want to see,” she added.
Arogundade also noted that the programme was particularly significant to her because of her roots in Aremo, Ibadan, while emphasising that it was equally important to the President’s vision of addressing Nigeria’s skills gap.
FG targets five million Nigerians through NPRGS
The Oyo empowerment exercise is part of the Federal Government’s broader NPRGS initiative, which aims to lift five million Nigerians out of poverty over four years through skills acquisition and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The programme began with a pilot phase in Abuja in June 2025, where participants received training in areas including cybersecurity, web development and solar energy installation.
Following the Abuja exercise, the government announced plans to extend the initiative to Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with vocational training tailored to local economic needs and opportunities.
An earlier announcement by the Presidency identified Oyo, Enugu and Kebbi as states selected for the programme’s initial expansion beyond Abuja. The government said the wider rollout was intended to increase access to practical skills, business tools and opportunities for self-employment.
The five-million target represents the programme’s broader poverty reduction ambition; it is distinct from the number of people participating in individual training and empowerment exercises.
For Oyo State, the 700 beneficiaries represent the total reported number reached through the completed exercise, comprising the 200 participants in the three vocational training categories and the 500 recipients of digital devices.
Olubadan hails scheme, commends Arogundade
Earlier, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, commended the Federal Government’s intervention, describing the initiative as a significant step towards addressing poverty and youth unemployment.
The monarch made the remarks when Arogundade led a delegation to his palace in Ibadan on a courtesy visit ahead of the graduation ceremony.
He praised the presidential aide for bringing the programme to Oyo State and encouraged other public officials in similar positions to pursue initiatives that directly benefit ordinary Nigerians.
“It’s a very good initiative, and we are very proud of Arogundade,” Ladoja said.
He added that the programme could contribute to poverty reduction by equipping beneficiaries with skills and resources to become economically independent.
The monarch’s commendation echoed the programme’s central objective of using vocational education and entrepreneurship to improve livelihoods.
Trainers highlight economic opportunities
Resource persons at the training also highlighted the commercial potential of the skills taught during the programme.
The keynote speaker and Principal Consultant, Mrs Oluronke Shonubi, said exposing young Nigerians to artificial intelligence would help them prepare for changes in the global economy.
She pointed to investments in AI by countries such as the United States and China, noting that the technology was increasingly being applied across sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture and automobile production.
Shonubi commended the government for introducing participants to AI and its potential applications, including the importance of understanding how to use the technology responsibly.
Similarly, Rukayat Muhammad, who facilitated the makeup artistry training, said the vocation offered opportunities for entrepreneurship and income generation.
She advised beneficiaries to develop their skills further and market their services effectively, stressing that the equipment provided should be treated as an investment in their economic independence.
Beneficiary pledges to train and employ others
One of the beneficiaries, Olaleye Idowu, a 400-level International Relations student at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, thanked the Federal Government for the opportunity to learn AI and graphic design.
Idowu said the training introduced participants to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, its applications, and its potential to improve work efficiency.
He expressed the ambition to become a professional AI prompt engineer within five years and pledged to train and employ other people as his career progressed.
His commitment reflects the multiplier effect Arogundade urged participants to pursue by extending the benefits of their training beyond themselves.
Dignitaries attend graduation
The ceremony attracted political leaders and other stakeholders, including Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, and his running mate, Hon Michael Adesoji Adedeji.
Also in attendance were Senator Yunus Abiodun Akintunde, who represents Oyo Central Senatorial District; Dr Adekemi Felicia Opatunde, the Oyo State APC Women Leader and Tinubu Torch Bearers coordinator; and Hon Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo, the Southwest Federal Constituency coordinator.
With the Oyo exercise completed, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education said the NPRGS rollout would continue across other geopolitical zones, with subsequent training phases designed around regional needs.
The beneficiaries were advised to strive to translate the skills, devices and business equipment received into sustained income, viable enterprises and additional employment opportunities, for the exercise to make a broader impact on society.
