FG Equips 18,510 Skilled Nigerians to Launch Businesses
The Federal Government has started distributing starter packs to 18,510 Nigerians who completed the first phase of the Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme, giving the beneficiaries practical tools to begin using their newly acquired skills.
The beneficiaries were selected from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and underwent two weeks of vocational training at more than 230 accredited centres across the country.
The programme is being implemented through the National Social Investment Programme Agency as part of efforts to equip Nigerians with skills that can help them establish businesses and become financially self-reliant.
National Programme Manager of N-POWER, Dr Nsikak Okon, said the government had introduced a monitoring system to track the beneficiaries and ensure the starter packs were properly used.
According to him, a dedicated portal has been created where participants are registered and their locations monitored with GPS technology. A call centre has also been established to assist beneficiaries and address problems they may encounter.
Okon disclosed that each beneficiary received ₦60,000 as transport support for the two-week training. The allowance was intended to help participants cover the cost of travelling between their homes and training centres during the programme.
The NSIPA National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, Badamasi Lawal, described the completion of the training and distribution of equipment as an important step towards expanding economic opportunities for vulnerable Nigerians.
Lawal revealed that some of the equipment being distributed had remained unused in government storage facilities for more than five years before being recovered, refurbished and allocated to the newly trained beneficiaries.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, said the initiative was designed to move beneficiaries beyond temporary assistance by giving them skills and equipment capable of supporting sustainable livelihoods.
Doro urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the opportunity, stressing that they were leaving the programme with more than certificates because they had acquired practical skills and equipment to immediately put their training to work.
The Federal Government expects the initiative to help beneficiaries establish small businesses, generate income and potentially create employment for other Nigerians as the government continues its wider poverty-reduction and skills-development efforts.