FG Empowers 124,000 Nigerians With Free Skills Training, Monthly Stipends

FG Empowers 124,000 Nigerians With Free Skills Training, Monthly Stipends

For Abdulhakeem Shamsudeen, the opportunity to acquire additional skills in nail technology and makeup could be the beginning of a more secure future.

Beyond the free training, the ₦30,000 monthly stipend offers financial support as he works towards becoming self-reliant.

His experience mirrors that of more than 124,000 Nigerians currently undergoing vocational and technical skills training under the Federal Government’s Innovation Development and Effectiveness in Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project.

The initiative, supported by the World Bank, is equipping beneficiaries across the country with practical skills aimed at improving employability, promoting entrepreneurship and addressing Nigeria’s growing demand for skilled workers.

National Project Monitoring Officer for TVET and IDEAS in the Office of the Minister of Education, Olatunji Odewunmi, disclosed the figures during a monitoring visit to selected training centres in Lagos State.

The team visited Elegant Twins Institute of Cosmetology, Surulere, and Federal Technical College (FTC), Yaba, to assess training quality, institutional performance and beneficiaries’ progress.

Odewunmi said each beneficiary receives a monthly stipend of ₦30,000 throughout the six-month training period, while training providers receive ₦50,000 monthly per trainee, amounting to ₦300,000 for the entire programme.

He added that beneficiaries are also entitled to start-up packs to help them establish businesses and apply their newly acquired skills, noting that some participants had already begun receiving the support.

According to him, Lagos State alone has approximately 128 TVET centres providing opportunities for Nigerians to acquire vocational and technical competencies.

He said the project was part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, close critical skills gaps and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign artisans.

At Federal Technical College, Yaba, the IDEAS Project Manager, Abimbola Oyediji, said the intervention, which began about five years ago, had increased student enrolment and improved practical training.

She listed the supported areas as blocklaying and concreting, tiling, woodwork, auto body building, computer craft and catering, with training also covering furniture making, upholstery, carpentry, automobile mechanics, ICT and robotics engineering.

At Elegant Twins Institute, Centre Manager Kunle Oladunjoye said the institution was selected to train 75 beneficiaries in beauty and cosmetology following a transparent selection process.

He said qualified instructors, including former students with considerable industry experience, were providing practical instruction to participants.

The institute’s founder, Elizabeth Adebisi Oshisoya, who traced her involvement in cosmetology training to 1950, described the intervention as an opportunity to widen access to professional skills and economic independence.

For beneficiaries, the impact is already becoming evident.

Shamsudeen said the training had expanded his existing knowledge of the beauty industry, while Omotosho Okwemi praised the government for providing free training and financial support.

Another beneficiary, Boma Messe-Britz, said she had acquired practical skills in makeup, hairdressing, nail technology and spa services.

At FTC Yaba, Leo Uzoma said access to free training and equipment had improved his learning experience, while Oni Oluwada said the programme had strengthened his knowledge of electrical installation, including basic connections and socket installation.

Adebayo Mowufin Oluwada also said the training was preparing her for further studies and a possible career in electrical engineering.

Odewunmi stressed that regular monitoring was necessary to ensure that training providers met programme requirements and delivered quality instruction in line with the government’s investment.

The IDEAS Project complements the Federal Government’s TVET reform agenda under Pillar One of the National Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).

With more than 124,000 Nigerians enrolled, the programme represents a major investment in practical skills development.

Its long-term success, however, will depend on the quality of training, timely delivery of start-up support and the ability of beneficiaries to translate their new skills into sustainable jobs and businesses.