Tinubu Empowering Nigerian Youths, Dr. Alausa Declares, As 250,000 Undergoing TVET Programme

Impressed with activities at the Federal Ministry of Education T-VET Partner Centres, the Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. Mauruf Tunji Alausa, has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is really empowering Nigerian youths. 

He spoke with journalists on Thursday in Abuja after inspection and interaction with youths undergoing technical and vocational skills training at the AFS Vocational Hub and the Golden Gate Farms. 

According to him, the TVET programme approved by President Bola Tinubu barely 8 months ago for the youths across the country is already yielding tangible fruits. 

He said that 250,000 youths are presently undergoing technical and vocational skills training across the country. 

Dr. Alausa said "You can see now, this is a phenomenal success. The Federal Minister of Education Technical Vocational Education Initiative is being a phenomenal success. 

"This is where you see the power of political will of the government intervention. From when we started conceiving this program, this TVET initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education. Eight months and now we're seeing the first squad of students. 

"We took our time to crate the way this vocational training will be done. It you look at the various trades that we had in the country, that people were doing in the name of technical and vocational training of about 86 trade, we narrowed them down to about 28 trades and matter that we need for our Country, fashion and garment making, livestock, GSM, repair, farming, plumbing, tiling. 

"We also worked on QM, creating the curriculum, the cost study. We wanted it to be heavily practical based, 90% practical and 20% theoretical. 

"After this has been done, we opened the portal to the nation, almost 1.3 million people applied within the first 10 days. We had to close it quickly. So of the 1.3 million youths that applied, we finalized about 960,000 youth on that portal." 

The Minister added "And from beginning, we said, this is different. We have a president that President Bola Tinubu that believes so much in the power of our youth. He believes that the youth are the heart beat of this nation. This President is determined to give them the support,"

Despite the people thinking that the programme will tow the line of many programmes by past administrations, he said the TVET programme is a game changer. 

He noted that President Tinubu always follow his promises with concrete actions. 

"This government, when this President makes his promises, he ensures the promises are fulfilled. 

"We opened the portal. I've spoken to several of the students. They thought it was just another thing, but we didn't stop. They applied. The application was seamless. In the portal, we vetted them. We planned this so that this will not be another era of scam. 

"Every student on that project, every single student of 966,000 students, youth, we ensured that we got their NIN. And we matched them because we're going to pay them. We're paying this Training and skills Center, and the vocational institute that's training them. 

"Today we're seeing students being trained. This is the first squad, we have 250,000 students in the first squad.

 

"Earlier in the morning, I visited another center, with some students learning fashion and garment making, solar photovoltaic installation and maintenance, also hospitality. 

"And now we're on the ground, on the farm, here at the Golden Gate farms, where our students are learning livestock. You've seen me. I went to the poultry. I was showed how the working of the automated poultry, how the layers. I've been to the greenhouse, and we went to the fish bank."

The Minister was optimistic that the trainees will be fully equipped by the time they finish their training. 

"This is a kind of training we designed so that these students at the end of it all, by the time they're done with their training, they're fully equipped. 

"We didn't want this to be another training that will just give them skills that won't empower them. 

"And I'm so happy. A lot of these students have been to universities, they've been to polytechnics, now they're getting real life skills that would really help them to be extremely useful to themselves, useful to the community they live and useful to the country and the globe at large."Dr Alausa stated 

After the trainings, he said that they will be given starter packs and grants to establish businesses of their own. 

"The way we've designed it, we're not just going to train them alone, skill them up alone. Also, we're giving them starter pack and at the end of these all, we are also going to give them grant to help them, and nothing like I went to school and I've been sitting at home for years now. The opportunities are here now."

The Minister thanked President Bola Tinubu for giving the ministry the support to ensure that the TVET programme comes to reality. 

According to him, Nigeria is back to its past lost glory when vocational and technical training were given the right top priority. 

"When we presented the case to the President that we wanted to change our education system from people just going to university, Polytechnic, colleges of education to get degrees that equip them with nothing. 

"We need to go back to 50 years ago, 40 years ago, 60 years ago, when technical and vocational education were all part of our education system. Now we're back. Nigeria is back, and this is what you see."

Noting that Nigerian youths are not lazy, he said they will do better than their contemporaries globally when given the right opportunities. 

"Our youth are not lazy. They are just waiting for the opportunity. That is what this President is doing, equipping them with the opportunities. 

"I feel so happy. I feel fulfilled and it's a great day for Nigeria.  This president took difficult decisions. We're seeing the benefits now." he stated 

Besides the TVET programme, Dr. Alausa said that the President has also taken tough decisions that are impacting positively on the various sectors of the economy. 

"Economy is growing, the last GDP was 4.24, Naira is strengthed, fuel scarcity is gone, unemployment rate is coming down from a high of 20% the last report, this month was 18.5% so the President is working." 

On the sustainability of the TVET programme, he said, it said it has been well designed with financial provisions made for it. 

"Everything we're doing as a government, is what the President has mandated the ministers. It's not about superficiality, whatever problem you are tackling, ensure full sustainability. 

"This TVET, technical and Vocational Education and Training Initiative is being built on the part of sustainability, with the President giving the approval to dedicate 5% of TETFund budget to support technical vocational skills training. 

"So the financing is there. And what I've just told you is that this is the step one to  give our youth the skills they need." he added 

The Centres, he said, are replecated across the country, totalling 2600 skills training center in the 36 states and the FCT. 

Giving further breakdown, the Minister said "I told you we have 960,000 students that we will train, but it's going to be progressive. This is the first squad 260,000 that we have started with. 

"We're going to get to the next squad.  Every State and the FCT, this programme is going on." he stated.

Some beneficiaries of the programme, who spoke on the initiative, thanked President Tinubu and the Minister for the opportunity the technical and vocational skills have offered them.