The Federal Government has expanded the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), a flagship initiative designed to help lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years through skills development, economic growth, and targeted social protection. The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE) said the programme is being rolled out across Nigeria's geopolitical zones following the successful completion of its pilot phase in Abuja.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Abiola Arogundade, described the NPRGS as a key component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. According to her, the programme is built on the belief that Nigerian youths are not the problem facing the country but a major part of the solution.
The NPRGS began its pilot cohort in Abuja on June 30, 2025, with an intensive 10-day training programme focused on cybersecurity, web development, and solar energy installation. Arogundade said the pilot recorded strong results, with participants gaining practical skills in areas including website development and digital security. The Abuja phase attracted more than 7,000 applications, highlighting the demand for practical skills and employment opportunities among young Nigerians. Participants who completed the training received laptops and certificates of completion.
Following the Abuja pilot, the Federal Government is now expanding the programme across Nigeria's geopolitical zones. Each zone will host 200 trainees for intensive training lasting between 10 days and two weeks, with the skills offered selected according to local market demand, relevance, and trainee preferences. The initial nationwide phase is expected to benefit 1,200 Nigerian youths.
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Zone-Specific Training Details
- Oyo State (South-West): Training begins September 28, 2026, running two weeks from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, covering Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) design, makeup, and fashion designing.
- Enugu State (South-East): Training covers makeup, solar energy installation (panel installation, maintenance, and off-grid solutions), and fashion designing.
- Kebbi State (North-West): Training covers graphics and AI design, fashion designing, and agriculture, with a focus on yoghurt making, dairy processing, packaging, and small-scale agribusiness.
Training Kits
Beyond classroom training, participants receive complete training kits to take home. Graphics and AI trainees get laptops, makeup trainees get fully equipped makeup kits, fashion designing trainees get sewing machines and starter kits, and participants in agriculture and yoghurt making get fermentation kits.
Programme Goals
The NPRGS aims to equip young Nigerians with marketable skills, reduce unemployment and underemployment, promote entrepreneurship and self-reliance, and contribute to the national target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years. OSSAP-TVEE is calling on state governments, traditional rulers, community leaders, and private-sector organisations to partner with the Federal Government as the programme expands to more states.
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