FG Partners 217 Firms To Train 30,000 Youths In Life-Changing Vocational Skills

According to Ireporter Online, the Federal Government has entered into a partnership with 217 Training Service Providers (TSPs) to train over 30,000 Nigerian youths in market-relevant skills under the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative.

The agreement, signed under the IDEAS–TVET Initiative II, aims to equip young Nigerians with hands-on vocational and technical skills over a six-month training period, after which participants will receive starter packs to launch their own ventures.

National Project Coordinator of the IDEAS Project, Blessing Ogwu, explained that the programme is part of the government’s broader efforts to reduce unemployment and boost economic productivity. She emphasized that the initiative focuses on improving Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to enhance Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and create sustainable job opportunities for young people.

Ogwu noted that the training would not only empower youths with practical skills but also prepare them for self-employment, as the government intends to support participants with stipends and access to soft loans. According to her, each trainee will receive a monthly allowance of ₦22,500 to cover transportation and other logistics throughout the training period.

She added that the selected training service providers will directly engage with more than 25,000 participants in this phase, while additional beneficiaries will join in subsequent batches.

World Bank Co–Task Team Leader for the IDEAS Project, Dr. Mistura Rufai, revealed that the TVET 2 sub-component is funded with a $70 million allocation, aimed at addressing gaps in the skills ecosystem and tackling youth unemployment. She explained that the project is designed to reach approximately 75,000 young Nigerians, particularly those with some secondary education but without regular employment, by equipping them with market-relevant skills and facilitating job placement opportunities.

Rufai further disclosed that the initiative currently includes 325 training service providers and about 40,000 trainees nationwide. She reiterated that the project’s ultimate goal is to strengthen Nigeria’s technical workforce and create a sustainable bridge between education and industry needs.