The Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme is gaining momentum across Nigeria as participants commence intensive practical training aimed at equipping them with employable skills, promoting entrepreneurship, and accelerating the nation’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 Honourable Minister, Dr. Bernard M. Doro. A total of 18,510 Nigerians are expected to benefit from the nationwide initiative.
At the official launch, 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 commitment to tackling poverty through sustainable economic empowerment.
He noted that the initiative marks a significant shift from short-term interventions to practical skills acquisition that enables beneficiaries to earn sustainable incomes, build resilient livelihoods, and attain economic self-reliance.
Speaking on 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, market-driven skills.
She explained that participants are undergoing hands-on training in a wide range of vocational trades, including tailoring, welding, carpentry, catering, baking, agro-processing, bead and jewellery making, and other income-generating skills. Upon completion of the two-week training, beneficiaries will receive trade-specific starter packs to enable them establish their own businesses.
According to Mrs. Opasaye, the programme is designed not only to impart vocational skills but also to create sustainable livelihoods, reduce unemployment, and empower participants to become employers of labour.
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“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 transitioning 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 integrates 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 combines classroom instruction with intensive hands-on training to equip participants with marketable skills and entrepreneurial knowledge for self-employment.
Participants equally 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 establish 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 Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction continues to implement interventions that empower vulnerable Nigerians with the skills, resources, and opportunities needed to achieve lasting economic independence.
