The Federal Government has launched an expanded poverty reduction initiative that targets five million Nigerians over the next four years. In Oyo State, 700 youths have been trained in artificial intelligence, graphics design and vocational skills.

The intervention is implemented through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education. It is designed to tackle unemployment, bridge the skills gap and equip beneficiaries with the tools to establish businesses and participate in the digital economy.

The Oyo training programme ran from September 28 to October 9, 2026. It ended on Friday with a graduation ceremony at the Kensington Adebutu Hall, University of Ibadan, where participants received equipment and digital devices to support their move from training to income-generating activities.

Vanguard reported that speaking at the ceremony, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Abiola Arogundade, said the initiative reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to tackling poverty by creating opportunities for economic independence, rather than relying solely on direct assistance.

“What we want to do, and what the President wants to do, is to move as many people out of poverty as possible.

“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,” Arogundade said.

She said the programme was structured to give young Nigerians practical competencies and equipment to turn their knowledge into viable businesses. She added that the Federal Government is pursuing its target of lifting five million people out of poverty within four years.

Under the Oyo phase, 30 participants received specialised training in AI and graphics design, while 85 were trained in make-up artistry and another 85 in fashion design.

An additional 500 participants received digital devices to support their participation in the growing digital economy.

Depending on their areas of training and the support provided, the beneficiaries received laptops, make-up kits, sewing machines and digital tablets.

Arogundade urged the graduates to use the skills and equipment to build sustainable livelihoods and to extend the benefits of the intervention to their communities.

“What you receive today is not the destination. It is the beginning. Take the skills you have learnt. Take the tools you have received, and build something with them.

“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,” she said.

The Federal Government’s strategy emphasises practical skills, entrepreneurship and digital capabilities. The intervention aims to prepare beneficiaries for employment and self-employment in sectors where technology and specialised vocational knowledge are increasingly important.

According to OSSAP-TVEE, the nationwide rollout will extend the programme beyond Abuja, where the initial pilot was conducted, and Oyo State.

Later phases are expected to cover other geopolitical zones, with 1,200 participants targeted per phase and training tailored to the needs of different regions.

The keynote speaker and Principal Consultant, Mrs Oluronke Shonubi, said training young Nigerians in AI was important because major economies continued to integrate the technology across different sectors.

“Countries such as the United States and China are investing heavily in AI across sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, and the automobile industry,” Shonubi said.

She commended the government’s decision to expose young people to the technology and its ethical application. She said the knowledge could broaden their career options and create opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Similarly, the make-up artistry instructor, Rukayat Muhammad, said the skills acquired could give beneficiaries a pathway to financial independence if properly developed and marketed.

“Make-up artistry remains a marketable vocation, and beneficiaries can build successful businesses if they develop their skills and effectively market themselves,” Muhammad said.

She urged the trainees to regard the equipment provided as an investment in their economic future and to use it to establish and grow their businesses.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, urged the beneficiaries to see the training as a foundation for economic independence. He asked them to use their skills to create employment opportunities for themselves and others.

He said initiatives that equip young people with practical skills and tools for establishing businesses were important to tackling unemployment and reducing poverty.

“I urge all the beneficiaries to make the best use of this opportunity. The training and equipment provided are not just gifts; they are tools to build sustainable businesses, achieve financial independence and create employment for others.

“The real success of this programme will be measured by how many lives are positively impacted beyond today,” Alli said.

One of the beneficiaries, Olaleye Idowu, a 400-level International Relations student at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, said the AI and graphics design training had introduced him to the fundamentals of the technology and its potential applications.

“The training introduced us to the fundamentals of AI, its applications, and its potential to make work more efficient,” Idowu said.

He said he hoped to become a professional AI prompt engineer within five years and pledged to train and employ others as his career progressed.

“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 added.

Before the graduation ceremony, Arogundade led a presidential delegation on a courtesy visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja. He described the programme as a positive intervention in efforts to reduce poverty and empower young people.

The monarch said initiatives that equipped beneficiaries with practical skills and opportunities to earn a living could help address socio-economic challenges at the grassroots.

“It’s a very good initiative, and we are very proud of Arogundade,” Ladoja said.

“I would also like to encourage many people in her position to emulate her, because this will go a long way in empowering people and reducing poverty in our society.”

The ceremony drew political figures and other stakeholders. They included Alli’s deputy, Hon Michael Adesoji Adedeji; the senator representing Oyo Central, Yunus Abiodun Akintunde; the Oyo State APC Women Leader and Tinubu Torch Bearers coordinator, Dr Adekemi Felicia Opatunde; and the Southwest Federal Constituency coordinator, Hon Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo.