FG, World Bank Expand Skills Drive as 80,000 Nigerian Youths Receive Vocational Training.

FG, World Bank Expand Skills Drive as 80,000 Nigerian Youths Receive Vocational Training.

The Federal Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has intensified efforts to improve youth employability and entrepreneurship through technical and vocational education, with approximately 80,000 young Nigerians reached under the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project.

The latest phase of the initiative was flagged off in Abuja on Friday, October 2, 2026, with 777 young Nigerians commencing training under the third cohort of the IDEAS Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme. The Abuja component is being delivered through seven accredited Training Service Providers.

The World Bank supported programme, implemented through the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to expand access to practical and market-relevant technical and vocational skills while strengthening institutions responsible for skills development. Current training areas include digital and creative media, beauty and cosmetology, construction and building trades, agriculture and agribusiness, among others.

The programme is structured around competency based training aligned with National Skills Qualification standards. Participants are also expected to receive industry internship and employment support after their training, creating a pathway from skills acquisition to workplace experience and potential income generating opportunities.

Speaking during the commencement of a separate six month training programme in Gora, Nasarawa State, Chairman of CSS Global Integrated Farms, Professor John Kennedy Opara, said the initiative was intended to address the gap between academic qualifications and the practical competencies demanded by employers.

Opara, represented by the farm’s Training Manager, Victor Umunakwe, said the training combines classroom instruction with hands on sessions in areas including crop production and animal husbandry. He stressed that the objective extends beyond certificate acquisition to developing practical and entrepreneurial abilities that can support employment, business creation and contributions to food security.

National Project Coordinator of the IDEAS Project, Mrs Blessing Ogwu, represented by Mrs Susan Ekoja, said the programme had also recorded investments in infrastructure, equipment and human capacity development. She disclosed that about 4,000 technical teachers and instructors had been trained, while approximately 80,000 Nigerians had been reached through various training service providers nationwide.

Beneficiaries under the current cohort are expected to demonstrate their competencies through practical assignments and assessments rather than rely solely on classroom instruction. The programme’s emphasis on portfolios, internships and industry exposure is intended to strengthen participants’ transition into employment, freelancing or entrepreneurship.

In Abuja, the participating training providers include the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre, Onidiri Home of Beauty, Gemological Institute of Nigeria, I learn Learning Spaces, Germnig Consultants Limited, Dari Investments Limited, and Binley and Bramble in partnership with School Hunters.

The expansion of technical and vocational training comes amid continued efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s skills development system and improve the connection between education and labour market requirements. For the participating youths, the programme provides structured access to practical training, while its longer term employment impact will depend on the quality of instruction, industry linkages and opportunities available after graduation.