FG Trains 150 Enugu Youths In AI, Solar Installation

The federal government has commenced a two-week intensive training programme for 150 youths in Enugu State in Artificial Intelligence (AI), solar installation and fashion design as part of efforts to reduce poverty and unemployment across the country.

The programme is being implemented under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), which seeks to equip beneficiaries with practical skills and starter packs to establish businesses, build sustainable livelihoods and achieve financial independence.

The initiative is coordinated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (TVEE), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Speaking at the commencement of the training on Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on TVEE, Dr Abiola Arogundade, said the initiative reflected President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and commitment to empowering young Nigerians.

Arogundade described the South-East as an important part of the programme, noting that the selection of Enugu State demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive empowerment.

“Our expectation is that the beneficiaries will attend the training every day, learn as much as possible and gradually begin to lift themselves out of poverty,” she said.

She explained that the programme had already been implemented in some geopolitical zones, including the South-West and North-Central, adding that it would be extended to other parts of the country.

On measures to ensure the sustainability of the initiative, Arogundade said the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning had established a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track the progress of beneficiaries.

According to her, the ministry would assess participants after six months and one year to determine how effectively they were utilising the skills and equipment provided through the programme.

The Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Chris-Roberts Ozongwu, commended President Tinubu for the initiative, describing it as a significant intervention in youth empowerment and poverty reduction.

Mbah said the programme complemented the state government’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship, skills acquisition and economic development.

Also speaking, the director of the Macroeconomic Analysis Department at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning,  Felix Okonkwo, said the initiative aligned with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He explained that participants would receive training in AI, solar installation and fashion design, alongside equipment to enable them to establish their own businesses after completing the programme.

Okonkwo said the federal government was shifting its focus from temporary financial assistance to sustainable economic empowerment through vocational training and entrepreneurship.

“Instead of giving people N5,000, N8,000 or N10,000 as cash transfers, we believe that equipping them with skills and supporting small-scale businesses will provide a more sustainable means of reducing poverty,” he said.

He added that the 150 beneficiaries were selected through an open application process advertised on social media and radio stations.

The two-week training in Enugu is part of the federal government’s broader effort to lift five million Nigerians out of poverty by equipping them with marketable skills, promoting entrepreneurship and supporting the establishment of sustainable small businesses.

The programme is expected to provide beneficiaries with opportunities to generate income, become self-reliant and contribute to economic development in their communities.