The Federal Government has launched the Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme (VSTP), a nationwide initiative expected to equip 18,510 Nigerians with vocational and entrepreneurial skills aimed at promoting self-reliance and reducing poverty.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, described the programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s human capital, saying it underscores the Tinubu administration’s commitment to empowering citizens with practical skills that can create sustainable livelihoods.
A statement issued by the Minister’s Senior Technical Adviser on Information Systems and Data Analysis, Dr. Abimbola Fasanu, said the Minister spoke during the official flag-off of the programme at the Government Technical College, Area 3, Garki, Abuja.
According to Doro, the initiative represents a shift in the Federal Government’s poverty reduction strategy by prioritising skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and economic self-reliance over temporary interventions.
He said the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by equipping beneficiaries with practical skills that create opportunities, restore dignity and promote lasting prosperity.
The Vocational and Skills Training Programme, a flagship initiative of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), will train 18,510 beneficiaries drawn from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Doro explained that the programme is part of the Ministry’s broader reform agenda under the One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), designed to integrate humanitarian assistance, social protection and poverty reduction into a coordinated national framework.
He added that beneficiaries would not only receive vocational training but would also be linked to entrepreneurship opportunities, cooperative societies and poverty graduation pathways to support long-term economic independence.
The two-week intensive programme combines technical vocational training with entrepreneurship development, while each participant will receive a starter pack corresponding to his or her chosen trade to facilitate immediate business start-up after graduation.
Participants will be trained in 14 vocational areas, including automobile technology, agricultural technology, baking and confectionery, carpentry, catering, electrical installation, housekeeping, jewellery and bead making, masonry, plumbing, welding, sewing and fashion design, grinding operations, and vulcanising.
The Minister said the programme’s success would be measured by the number of sustainable livelihoods created rather than the number of certificates issued, expressing confidence that beneficiaries would become entrepreneurs, employers of labour and contributors to national development.
He commended the National Social Investment Programme Agency, training providers, development partners and private sector organisations supporting the initiative, urging them to ensure quality implementation, effective monitoring and sustained post-training support.
Doro reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to implementing reforms that empower vulnerable Nigerians through coordinated interventions, practical skills development and sustainable livelihood opportunities in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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