The Federal Ministry of Education has flagged off the training of 777 trainees under the FME-IDEAS-TVET initiative, with seven Training Service Providers (TSPs) participating in Abuja.
The ceremony, held on Friday at the International Trade and Convention Centre, KM 8, Umaru Yar’Adua Expressway, Abuja, is aimed at equipping participants with practical skills for employment, entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
The seven TSPs are ACCI Business Entrepreneurship Skills & Technology Centre (BEST Centre), Onidiri Home of Beauty, Gemological Institute of Nigeria, iLearn Learning Spaces, School Hunters Academy, Germnig Consultants Limited, and Dari Investments Limited.
Opening the ceremony, First Deputy President of ACCI and Founder of BEST Centre, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, said the programme demonstrated the importance of investing in practical skills that can help young Nigerians secure jobs, establish businesses and create employment opportunities.
He said the BEST Centre was established to develop people and enterprises through skills, entrepreneurship and technology, urging the trainees to turn their training into productive careers and businesses.
Also speaking, Junna Lawrence Gabriel, Excel Quality Assurance Manager and representative of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), said trainees would be assessed on their practical competencies before certification, stressing that skills must complement certificates.
Some trainees who spoke at the event thanked the Federal Ministry of Education, FME-IDEAS and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for providing them with the opportunity to acquire practical skills. One trainee said, “You have not just taught us how to make this. You have given us the tools to build our own future.”
Delivering the concluding remarks, Hajiya Kaka Usman thanked the organisers and partners for making the training programme possible, describing it as a valuable journey for the participants and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
She commended the collaboration among the participating organisations, noting that such partnerships could continue to deliver benefits to individuals, businesses, communities and society.
Usman urged the trainees to return home safely and put the knowledge and practical skills acquired during the training into practice.
She thanked all participants for attending and expressed hope that the training would translate into practical results, improved livelihoods and greater economic opportunities.
