The Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme is already gathering momentum across the country as participants have begin intensive practical training designed to equip them with employable skills, promote entrepreneurship, and accelerate Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts.
The programme, implemented by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, was officially flagged off by the Minister, Dr. Bernard M. Doro. A total of 18,510 Nigerians are expected to benefit from the nationwide initiative.
At the official flag-off, the Minister, in a statement issued by his Senior Technical Adviser on Information Systems and Data Analysis, Dr. Abimbola Fasanu, described the programme as a major milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle poverty through sustainable economic empowerment. She noted that the initiative represents a significant shift in the Federal Government’s approach to poverty reduction by moving beyond short-term interventions to practical skills development that equips beneficiaries to earn sustainable incomes, build resilient livelihoods, and become economically self-reliant.
Speaking during the third day of the training at the Women Development Centre, Agege, Lagos, the Programme Coordinator and Centre Head, Mrs. Kemilat Opasaye, said the initiative reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by empowering vulnerable Nigerians with practical skills that will enable them to become economically self-reliant.
She explained that participants are receiving hands-on training in various vocational trades, including tailoring, welding, carpentry, catering, baking, agro-processing, bead and jewellery making, and other income-generating skills. At the completion of the two-week programme, beneficiaries will receive trade-specific starter packs to help them establish their own businesses.
According to her, the programme is designed not only to provide vocational skills but also to create sustainable livelihoods, reduce unemployment, and empower participants to become employers of labour.
“This initiative is about giving Nigerians the opportunity to acquire practical skills that will improve their lives and enable them to build sustainable sources of income,” she said.
The programme aligns with the Ministry’s broader vision of moving vulnerable Nigerians from dependence to economic self-reliance through sustainable empowerment interventions. It also complements the Ministry’s One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), which seeks to integrate humanitarian assistance, social protection, skills development, and economic inclusion into a coordinated national framework for poverty reduction.
Facilitators at the training centre commended the initiative, describing it as a practical intervention that equips participants with marketable skills and entrepreneurial knowledge. They noted that the training combines classroom instruction with intensive practical sessions to prepare beneficiaries for self-employment.
Participants also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the opportunity. Miss Uche Obinna, a participant in the baking class, said the practical lessons had given her the confidence to start her own business, while Mrs. Adebisi Muhammed, a graduate undergoing tailoring training, described the programme as a pathway to financial independence through entrepreneurship.
The Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme is being implemented simultaneously across the country as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to creating sustainable livelihoods, expanding economic opportunities, and lifting Nigerians out of poverty through skills development, enterprise support, and inclusive social protection. Under the leadership of Dr. Bernard M. Doro, the Ministry continues to advance interventions that empower vulnerable Nigerians with the skills and opportunities needed to achieve lasting economic independence.
