The Federal Government has announced plans to train 1,200 young Nigerians in various vocational and digital skills as part of efforts to promote self-employment and reduce unemployment.
The initiative will provide training in areas including graphics design, artificial intelligence design, makeup and fashion, with participants drawn from the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Abiola Arogundade, the presidential aide responsible for technical and vocational training, disclosed the plan, saying 200 young people would be selected from each geopolitical zone.
The training sessions are expected to last between 10 and 14 days, with state governments, community leaders, traditional rulers and private-sector organisations expected to partner with the Federal Government.
Arogundade said the programme was part of the government’s broader poverty-reduction strategy and aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
She also referenced a pilot programme conducted in Abuja from June 2025, where 7,000 youths received training in areas such as cybersecurity, web development and solar installation.
According to her, participants in the pilot programme received laptops and certificates and were equipped with practical skills that could support employment and entrepreneurship.
The new nationwide programme will also provide trainees with equipment relevant to their chosen fields. Graphics trainees are expected to receive laptops, makeup trainees complete makeup kits, while fashion trainees will receive sewing machines and starter materials.
Agriculture-related trainees are also expected to receive fermentation kits for yoghurt production.
The programme is scheduled to commence in Oyo State on September 28, 2026, with training in graphics and AI design, makeup and fashion.
Arogundade urged state governments, traditional institutions, community leaders and private companies to support the initiative as it expands across the country.
The Federal Government said the programme is aimed at equipping young Nigerians with marketable skills, encouraging entrepreneurship and contributing to its target of reducing poverty nationwide.
