FG Empowers 700 Oyo Youths With AI, Fashion Skills Under NPRGS Poverty Reduction Drive

• The federal government completed a 10-day NPRGS training programme in Oyo state, equipping 700 youths with vocational and digital skills
• Beneficiaries across AI, makeup artistry, and fashion design tracks each received enterprise tools, including laptops, sewing machines, and tablets
• The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, received a presidential delegation and praised the scheme as a step toward reducing youth unemployment

Ibadan, Oyo state - The federal government has wrapped up a 10-day skills training and empowerment programme in Oyo State under its National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), graduating 700 young Nigerians with vocational training, digital tools, and business starter kits.

The closing ceremony took place on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Kensington Adebutu Hall, University of Ibadan. The programme had begun on September 28 and was managed by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), which sits within President Bola Tinubu's broader plan to lift five million Nigerians out of poverty within four years.

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NPRGS: What the Training Covered

Of the 700 beneficiaries, 30 received instruction in Artificial Intelligence and Graphic Design, 85 in Makeup Artistry, and 85 in Fashion Design. The remaining 500 were equipped with digital devices to support their entry into the digital economy. Physical tools distributed included laptops, sewing machines, makeup sets, and digital tablets.

Dr Abiola Arogundade, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on TVEE, told graduates that the government's goal is economic self-reliance rather than dependency on handouts.

"Mr President believes that our young people do not simply need assistance. They need opportunity. They need skills. They need the tools to compete and build sustainable livelihoods. And that is what today represents," she said.

She urged participants to extend the impact beyond themselves.

"Don't use it as a one-man solution or one-man empowerment. There's a multiplier effect. Train your neighbours, train your community people, and also continue to impact and learn more," Dr Arogundade added.

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Olubadan Hails Initiative

Before the ceremony, Dr Arogundade led a delegation to the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who welcomed the scheme and praised its grassroots approach.

"It's a very good initiative, and we are very proud of Arogundade," the monarch said, calling on others in similar positions to follow her example.

Keynote speaker and Principal Consultant Mrs Oluronke Shonubi linked the AI curriculum to shifts already reshaping global economies, noting that the United States and China are investing heavily in artificial intelligence across manufacturing, agriculture, and the automobile sector.

One beneficiary, Olaleye Idowu, a 400-level International Relations student at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, said the training opened his eyes to AI's practical uses.

"In five years, I expect to become a professional AI prompt engineer, and I pledge to train and employ others as I develop my career," he said.

Senior political figures at the ceremony included APC Oyo state governorship hopeful Senator Alli Sharafadeen Abiodun, Senator Yunus Abiodun Akintunde of Oyo Central, and Southwest Federal Constituency coordinator Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo.

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Following the Oyo phase, OSSAP-TVEE said the NPRGS rollout will continue across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, targeting 1,200 participants per phase with region-specific vocational content.

Tinubu's Aide Admits More Nigerians Fell Into Poverty

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Daniel Bwala admitted that more Nigerians have fallen into poverty since President Tinubu took office, but argued that the hardship is a direct result of the administration's economic reform programme.

Bwala, who is the special adviser on policy communication, made the acknowledgement on Wednesday night, October 7, while speaking on Politics Today, a Channels TV programme, where he also responded to a recent report by The Economist on the alleged public dissatisfaction with Tinubu.

Source: Legit.ng