The Federal Government has equipped 38 federal and state technical colleges across Nigeria to expand access to free technical and vocational education, offering young people training, monthly stipends and starter packs to support self-employment.
The initiative, implemented under the Innovation Development for Effective Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project, is supported by the World Bank and aims to equip young Nigerians with practical skills to improve their employment prospects and reduce poverty.
National Project Coordinator of the IDEAS Project, Mrs Blessing Ehi Ogwu, disclosed this during an inspection of the IDEAS Project Centre at the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Orozo, Abuja.
Ogwu said the Federal Government had funded and equipped 20 federal and 18 state technical colleges to strengthen skills acquisition and improve access to vocational training.
She explained that the institutions offered opportunities for both formal and informal skills training, adding that FSTC Orozo served as the designated federal technical college for the Federal Capital Territory.
According to her, the investment reflects the government’s commitment to repositioning technical and vocational education and equipping young people with marketable skills beyond conventional academic qualifications.
She expressed confidence that the free technical education initiative would continue under the current administration, urging Nigerians to support its sustainability.
Also speaking, the National Project Monitoring Officer in the Minister’s Office at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Olatunji Odewunmi, said Nigeria had more than 1,000 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres, including about 140 skills training centres across the FCT.
He described the IDEAS Project and the government’s TVET initiative as complementary interventions aimed at expanding access to practical skills training nationwide.
Odewunmi said beneficiaries would not pay for tuition, training fees or instructional materials, adding that the government also covered essential needs such as accommodation for trainees in boarding facilities.
He added that participants received monthly stipends and would be provided with starter packs upon completing their programmes to enable them to establish businesses.
To promote discipline and ensure effective participation, Odewunmi said biometric attendance monitoring had been introduced at the centres. Trainees who failed to meet the required attendance threshold risked losing their stipends and eligibility for starter packs.
He added that project monitoring officers regularly visited the centres to assess training activities and ensure the proper utilisation of government resources.
The Principal of FSTC Orozo, Dr Stella Uhuegbu, said the college had adopted a training structure that prioritised practical experience in line with the revised Federal Government TVET curriculum.
She explained that the curriculum prescribed a 70 per cent practical and 30 per cent theoretical training ratio, adding that the institution had provided instructional materials, equipment and technical instructors to meet the requirement.
According to her, the college has more than 1,000 regular students, while its six-month short-term skills programme accommodates over 1,000 trainees across different trades.
The available trades include information and communication technology, automobile mechanics, auto-electrical repairs, catering, garment making and GSM repairs.
Uhuegbu described the IDEAS Project as critical to the success of the TVET initiative, noting that the construction and equipping of new workshops had strengthened the college’s capacity to deliver practical training.
She added that beneficiaries would receive certificates and starter packs after completing their programmes to help them establish themselves in their chosen trades.
Some beneficiaries also shared how the programme had begun creating economic opportunities for them.
One of the trainees, Modupe Osundeyi, who is undergoing catering training, said she had acquired practical skills in baking and food production, including the preparation of buns, egg rolls and doughnuts.
She disclosed that she had approached a school near her residence and secured an opportunity to supply it with buns and doughnuts.
Another female trainee in the automobile department said she had learnt about different engine types, their components, maintenance procedures and basic repairs.
She, however, appealed to the government to provide additional equipment and extend the programme to rural communities to enable more young people to benefit.
The trainee also encouraged more women to pursue technical careers, particularly in fields traditionally dominated by men, stressing that gender should not limit access to vocational training.
Similarly, Joy Genesis, a trainee at the Zenou TVET Centre, Orozo, said she had started earning money from baking about four months after enrolling in the programme.
Genesis said the practical training had equipped her with skills in cake production and decoration, pastries, confectionery, bread-making and the preparation of snacks.
She disclosed that her training covered products such as meat pies, bread rolls, fruit bread, honey bread, coconut bread, coconut candy, buns, egg rolls, Scotch eggs and shawarma.
According to her, the hands-on approach adopted by the centre had enabled trainees to practise independently and develop the confidence to produce different items commercially.
She also revealed that she had received orders for wedding and birthday cakes since starting the programme, indicating that the skills acquired were already providing opportunities for income generation.
The Federal Government’s investment in technical colleges and vocational training forms part of broader efforts to strengthen skills development, promote entrepreneurship and improve employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
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