The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has endorsed the Federal Government’s vocational training programme, describing it as a step towards reducing poverty and unemployment among young Nigerians.
The monarch spoke on Thursday in Ibadan when Dr Abiola Arogundade, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, visited his palace to brief him on the initiative in Oyo State. According to TheCable, Ladoja said the programme could help beneficiaries become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic development.
He praised Arogundade and urged influential Nigerians and organisations to invest in practical skills acquisition and income-generating opportunities. The monarch said vocational training could offer sustainable sources of income.
The programme operates under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), which aims to improve employability, encourage entrepreneurship and strengthen economic independence.
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Practical Skills at the Centre of the Programme
The phase in Oyo State focuses on fashion design, makeup artistry, graphic design and artificial intelligence (AI). Organisers say the training is intended to give participants skills they can use to find work or establish small businesses.
Arogundade told the monarch that 200 young people participated in the 10-day training, scheduled to conclude on Friday, October 9. Participants received training in graphic design and AI, makeup artistry, and fashion design. She said they would receive work tools to help them apply their new skills and earn a living.
The programme is also intended to connect beneficiaries with organisations and business opportunities, helping them move from training to employment or self-employment. A trade can build competence and confidence, but access to equipment, customers and professional networks can determine whether that knowledge becomes a source of income.
A Presidency report on the Oyo rollout said the 200 trainees were divided among graphics and AI, makeup artistry, and fashion design. It stated that participants would receive starter tools, including laptops, sewing machines and makeup kits, to support the launch of their businesses.
Digital Support and the Employment Challenge
The scheme also includes digital support for people beyond those receiving vocational training. Arogundade said an additional 700 beneficiaries would receive tablets to strengthen their digital capabilities and economic opportunities. An earlier Presidency report on the programme’s launch referred to 500 tablets and said 700 people would be directly empowered through the combination of training and digital support. The figures are presented differently in the two reports, but both identify digital access as part of the intervention.
Including AI and graphic design reflects the growing role of digital skills in work and business. Fashion and makeup artistry, meanwhile, can support small enterprises that rely on practical ability, customer service and local demand. The mix gives participants different routes towards earning an income.
Still, short training programmes cannot solve youth unemployment on their own. For the impact to last, participants need quality instruction, equipment, opportunities to practise, access to markets and mentoring. Tracking how many graduates establish businesses or secure paid work would help show whether the scheme is delivering lasting results.
Ladoja’s appeal for more organisations to invest in skills acquisition also puts responsibility on employers, established businesses, community groups and associations. They can help trainees gain experience, find customers and understand the requirements of their chosen fields.
Back Story
The Oyo training is part of a wider Federal Government effort to use technical, vocational and entrepreneurship education to address poverty. When the state phase began on September 28, the Presidency said the NPRGS programme aimed to lift five million young Nigerians out of poverty over four years. It began in the Federal Capital Territory and was expected to expand to other states and geopolitical zones.
Separately, the Federal Ministry of Education’s IDEAS-TVET initiative trains young people in areas including agriculture, ICT, construction, hospitality, electrical installation, solar installation and phone repairs. Voice of Nigeria reported on October 5 that the programme had trained at least 80,000 youths and was starting a new cohort of 900 participants in Oyo State.
Though the initiatives have different structures, both seek to equip Nigerians with marketable skills and better prospects for earning. Their longer-term success will depend on whether training is matched with tools, practical experience and real opportunities to turn ability into sustainable work.
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