Lagos Youths Get Self-Reliant Skills

The Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Jake Riley Academy, has trained over 250 industry-ready youths through a month-long intensive programme to equip them with skills to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to industrial development.

The training is sponsored by NCDMB and delivered by Jake Riley Limited as part of a joint commitment by the partners to youth empowerment and sustainable skills development.

The programme, according to Jake Riley, is conducted under the FAST Selling Skills Training Programme, which is designed to sharpen the skills of Nigerian youths and equip them with business starter packs to launch into commercial services.

The graduation ceremony, held at the Women Development Centre in Agege, Lagos State, marked the successful completion of one of the intensive, demand-driven training initiatives designed to equip participants with practical, income-generating skills aligned with current market needs.

At the event, the director of the board’s Capacity Building Directorate, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, challenged Nigerian youths to embrace skills acquisition as a viable pathway to self-reliance and national development.

Bamidele, who was represented by the Supervisor, Marine Vessel Categorisation, and Technical Assistant to the Director, John Barigha, urged the graduates to take full advantage of the opportunity, stressing that their success would largely depend on how effectively they apply the skills they have acquired.

He cautioned the beneficiaries against trivialising the programme, noting that discipline, dedication and commitment would determine how far they progress in their chosen fields.

He also disclosed that the Board is concluding plans to introduce a new training programme targeted at youths aged 35 years and below, particularly those with engineering backgrounds, to enhance participation and create more opportunities within the oil and gas sector.

He urged beneficiaries to utilise their starter packs effectively, cautioning against selling the equipment provided.

In her keynote address, Jake Riley Ltd. Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Funmi Ogbue, described the graduation as a defining moment for 250 young Nigerians.

She said the programme reflected NCDMB’s expanding role in local content development, with youth empowerment central to economic transformation.