FG Equips 70 With Vocational Skills, Starter Packs in Lagos

Esther Oluku

The federal government through the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has sponsored the training and provided business starter packs for 70 young people across two vocational skills in Lagos.

The beneficiaries were trained in eco-packaging and paper bag making as well as fashion designing under a skills acquisition and youth empowerment programme sponsored by the NCDMB, an agency of the federal government.

Speaking at the certificate and starter pack presentation ceremony which held in Surulere, Lagos, yesterday, Project Coordinator for the programme, Mr. Musa Rasaq, said the initiative is aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical, income-generating skills that would enable them to become self-reliant and contribute towards local content development in Nigeria.

According to him, the eco-packaging and paper bag making programme was a two-week intensive training that equipped 20 participants with practical knowledge in paper bag design and production, while the fashion design programme ran for eight weeks and trained 50 participants.

Rasaq explained that participants were selected through community-based channels, including local publications, churches and community leaders, to ensure inclusiveness and grassroots participation.

He added that the NCDMB had put structures in place to ensure post-training support and long-term impact, noting that beneficiaries would be linked to digital platforms and social media channels to showcase their products and access wider markets.

“The main sponsor of this programme is the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board. The goal is to promote local content. At the end of the training, whatever a delegates produce can be uploaded on designated platforms to attract patronage and business opportunities,” he said.

He disclosed that the programme, which started last year, was in its second edition, stressing that it forms part of ongoing efforts by the NCDMB to address youth unemployment through vocational skills development.

Some of the beneficiaries expressing appreciation to the organiser, describing the training as impactful and life-changing.

One of the beneficiaries from the fashion designing programme, Mr. Tijani Yusuf, said participants were taught both theoretical and practical aspects of sewing, including the use of different machines, fabrics and designs.

“For those of us who had no prior knowledge of sewing, we were taught from scratch. The clothe I am wearing today was sewn by me as part of our project assignment,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Miss Odukoya Omotoyosi, a recent graduate of the University of Lagos, said the programme had given her the confidence and skills to start her own business.

“Within two months of the programme, I gained the knowledge of making dresses, corporate outfits and caps. Instead of looking for a job, I now have the opportunity to start my own business,” she said, adding that participants also received transportation stipends and meals during the course of the training.

Similarly, a participant in the eco-packaging programme, Mr. Akindeji Olakunle, said the training exposed him to new opportunities and practical skills that would help him earn a living.

Beneficiaries called on the federal government and the NCDMB to expand the programme to accommodate more youths, noting that many young Nigerians were eager to acquire vocational skills if given the opportunity.