The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, yesterday flagged off technical and vocational skills training for 777 young Nigerians in Abuja under the third cohort of the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project.

The joint ceremony, held at the Abuja Trade and Convention Centre, brought together seven accredited Training Service Providers (TSPs) implementing the programme in the Federal Capital Territory. The World Bank funded project is designed to expand access to quality technical and vocational education and training, strengthen skills delivery institutions and improve labour market outcomes for young Nigerians.

Across its cohorts, the project is training approximately 80,000 young Nigerians nationwide. Under the current cohort, beneficiaries are receiving competency based training aligned with National Skills Qualification standards, followed by industry internship and employment support. The 777 trainees in Abuja are being trained in areas including digital and creative media, beauty and cosmetology, construction and building trades, agriculture and agribusiness, among others.

Speaking at the ceremony, the First Deputy President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and Chairman of the ACCI Business, Entrepreneurship, Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, said the initiative was addressing the gap between Nigeria’s growing youth population and the skills demanded by the labour market.

Adesugba, who represented the ACCI President, Chief Emeka Obegolu, said, “Nigeria’s challenge is not a shortage of young people. It is a shortage of young people equipped with skills the market is willing to pay for. Our economy does not need more certificates. It needs more competence. That is why this programme is deliberately practical. By the end of it, each trainee will hold not just a certificate, but a portfolio of real work.”

He urged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity, noting that course fees, equipment, facilities and instruction had been provided on their behalf, while encouraging them to practise continuously and apply the skills to employment, freelancing or entrepreneurship.

Representing the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Builder Lawrence Gabriel, External Quality Assurance Manager, said the trainees would undergo competency assessments before receiving the National Skills Qualification (NSQ) certification. He said the emphasis should be on competence rather than certificates, noting that technological changes were reshaping the labour market.

“Technology is not taking jobs from us. People who have good knowledge of technology will take jobs from those who don’t,” Gabriel said, urging the trainees to continue learning and improving their skills beyond the programme.

The seven participating TSPs are ACCI BEST Centre, Onidiri Home of Beauty, Gemological Institute of Nigeria, iLearn Learning Spaces, Germnig Consultants Limited, Dari Investments Limited, and Binley and Bramble in partnership with School Hunters.

For some beneficiaries, the training has already moved beyond the classroom into real work opportunities.

One of them, Stephen who trained in building construction through Dari Investments Limited, said he entered the programme hoping to acquire a practical skill that would improve his prospects but ended up learning lessons he could apply beyond construction.

He said the training in bricklaying and concrete work had taught him the importance of “a strong foundation, precision and teamwork”, adding that he was already working as a supervisor on a construction project in Jabi, Abuja.

According to him, the knowledge acquired had also given him the confidence to identify and correct mistakes made by workers on construction sites.

Another trainee, Pauline, who is undergoing fashion design training with Binley and Bramble in partnership with School Hunters, said she joined the programme without much knowledge of fashion but had developed enough confidence and skills to prepare for a major fashion event.

She said her designs were scheduled to feature on the Nigerian Fashion Week runway, describing the opportunity as a major boost to her development.

A male trainee from the same centre, who said he initially had no knowledge of sewing or fashion, also described the training as transformative. He said he had progressed from learning basic fashion skills to modelling, participating in runway shows and exhibitions, with plans to participate in Nigerian Fashion Week.

At Onidiri Home of Beauty, beneficiaries said the training had expanded their understanding of makeup, skincare, hairstyling and wig making. One trainee explained that participants were being taught to identify different skin types and select appropriate products instead of simply applying foundation without understanding possible reactions.

She also said trainees had learnt how to make and revamp wigs and were already gaining confidence to offer beauty services to clients.

At iLearn Learning Spaces, the training has also exposed about 75 beneficiaries to creative media production, supported by seven faculty members. A representative of the centre said the objective was not only to equip participants with skills but also to enable them to replicate the knowledge and create opportunities for others.

Deputy Director General of ACCI and Head of the BEST Centre, Dr. Tinekeete Mitope, said the seven providers had collaborated to implement the training across different skill areas, adding that the programme was designed to equip beneficiaries with practical competencies that could translate into employment, entrepreneurship and income generating opportunities.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, the IDEAS TVET National Project Coordinating Unit, ACCI, participating training providers, community and religious leaders and other stakeholders