By Suleiman Shehu
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to skills development and sustainable livelihoods as 700 beneficiaries graduated from a vocational training programme in Oyo state.
Dr Abiola Arogundade, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (TVEE), stated this on Friday in Ibadan at the graduation ceremony.
The beneficiaries completed a 10-day intensive training programme under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS).
Arogundade said the initiative reflected Tinubu’s determination to bridge Nigeria’s skills gap and equip young Nigerians with practical skills to compete in the economy.
She said the programme was designed to enable beneficiaries to acquire relevant skills, become economically independent and build sustainable livelihoods.
According to her, the 700 beneficiaries comprised 30 participants trained in artificial intelligence (AI) and graphics, 85 in makeup artistry, 85 in fashion design and 500 in digital economy-related skills.
“This project is very dear to my heart because I come from Aremo, Ibadan.
“But it is also very dear to the heart and vision of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose determination to close Nigeria’s skills gap is a major driver of the mandate we have been given.”
Arogundade said Tinubu believed that young Nigerians needed opportunities, skills and tools to compete effectively and achieve economic independence.
Also speaking, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Sen. Sharafadeen Alli, said the empowerment programme would contribute to poverty reduction.
Alli, who represents Oyo South in the Senate, said Tinubu had taken several measures to cushion the effects of subsidy removal, adding that the empowerment initiative was among efforts to reduce poverty and unemployment.
In his remarks, Sen. Yunus Akintunde (APC-Oyo Central) commended Arogundade and urged the beneficiaries not to sell the equipment provided to them, in spite of challenges they might be facing.
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, represented by Shola Ladoja, also commended Arogundade and the Federal Government for the initiative.
Ladoja said the empowerment programme would contribute to poverty reduction in Nigeria.
At the end of the programme, all beneficiaries were awarded certificates and provided with start-up kits to support their transition into self-employment and sustainable livelihoods.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme attracted a diverse audience, including youths, NGO representatives, politicians, traditional rulers, entrepreneurs and academics. (NAN)
Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh
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