- NSIPA, N-Power deploy idle vocational assets in 14 trades across Nigeria’s 36 states and FCT as Tinubu administration deepens youth empowerment and entrepreneurship drive
The Federal Government has officially flagged off the Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme, a nationwide youth empowerment and job creation initiative expected to benefit more than 18,000 Nigerians in its first phase, as it moves to convert previously idle vocational equipment into tools for enterprise development and poverty reduction.
The flag-off ceremony, held at the Government Science Technical College (GSTC), Area 3, Garki, Abuja, was declared open by the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, who described the programme as a flagship empowerment initiative of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, implemented through the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
A Pathway to Economic Empowerment, Not Just Another Training Exercise
In his keynote address, Dr. Doro said the vocational skills training programme was a practical demonstration of government’s commitment to tackling unemployment, reducing poverty, promoting entrepreneurship, and expanding opportunities for Nigerians through sustainable skills development. He stressed that skills acquisition had become an economic necessity rather than an option, describing the initiative as a comprehensive pathway to economic empowerment and poverty reduction, not merely another training exercise.
The Minister highlighted government’s decision to refurbish and redistribute vocational starter packs and equipment that had deteriorated in warehouses over several years as a bold step toward prudent management of public resources. He charged beneficiaries to embrace the training with discipline and commitment, and urged training providers and implementation partners to uphold professionalism, transparency, and accountability throughout the programme’s delivery.
Dr. Doro added that government would institute continuous mentoring, enterprise tracking, and impact evaluation mechanisms to guarantee sustainable outcomes. “The success of this programme will ultimately be measured not by the number of people trained, but by the number of sustainable businesses established, jobs created, and families lifted out of poverty,” he said, while commending President Tinubu’s leadership and acknowledging the support of the National Assembly, state governments, development partners, and other stakeholders.
18,000 Beneficiaries, 14 High-Demand Vocational Trades
Speaking earlier at the ceremony, the National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer of NSIPA, Assoc. Prof. Badamasi Lawal, PhD, disclosed that the first phase of the Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme would directly benefit over 18,000 Nigerians spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. He explained that the programme was designed to tackle rising youth unemployment while putting to productive use vocational starter packs that had remained unused in warehouses for years, thereby eliminating storage and rental liabilities.
According to Prof. Lawal, beneficiaries are being selected through a transparent and inclusive process involving the National Assembly, state governments, traditional and religious leaders, youth and women groups, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), with priority given to unemployed youths, women, and other vulnerable Nigerians.
The NSIPA boss listed the 14 high-demand vocational trades under the programme as Automobile Technology, Agricultural Technology, Baking and Confectionery, Carpentry, Catering Services, Electrical Installation, Housekeeping, Jewellery and Bead Making, Masonry, Plumbing, Welding and Fabrication, Fashion Design and Sewing, Grinding Machine Operations, and Vulcanizing and Tyre Services. Beyond technical instruction, beneficiaries will also undergo training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, business management, and digital literacy, and will receive trade-specific starter packs to enable an immediate transition into self-employment on completion of the programme.
Decentralised Delivery Through Accredited Technical Colleges
In her welcome address, the Acting National Programme Manager of N-Power, Dr. Nsikak Okon, said implementation of the vocational and skills training programme would be decentralised across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, using accredited Government Technical Colleges and other vocational institutions nationwide. She said GSTC Abuja was chosen to host the flag-off because of its capacity to deliver industry-relevant, hands-on training, and its role in exposing students already undergoing technical education to a national empowerment initiative of this scale.
Dr. Okon added that NSIPA had deployed a robust digital Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Management System to ensure real-time tracking of training activities, attendance, starter pack distribution, and post-training outcomes, in line with the agency’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
Turning Idle Assets Into Engines of Job Creation
An overview of the programme presented by NSIPA further explained that the initiative was conceived in response to rising youth unemployment and the need to salvage vocational starter packs that had deteriorated in storage due to administrative and operational challenges. Rather than allow the assets to depreciate further, the Federal Government approved their refurbishment and distribution to trained beneficiaries, a move expected to strengthen Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), boost household incomes, and support local economic growth across communities.
Officials say the Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme forms part of a broader Renewed Hope Agenda strategy to integrate skills development, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and sustainable livelihoods into Nigeria’s social protection architecture, with post-training mentoring and enterprise tracking designed to ensure beneficiaries translate their new skills into viable, long-term businesses.
