FG expands poverty reduction programme to Oyo, Enugu, Kebbi

The federal government has expanded the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) to Oyo, Enugu and Kebbi states as part of efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical skills and create pathways out of poverty.

The programme, being implemented by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), is a Federal Government initiative aimed at lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years through economic growth and targeted social protection.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Abiola Arogundade, said the initiative was a central pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Arogundade said the programme was driven by the belief that Nigerian youths were not the problem facing the country but a major part of the solution to its challenges.

“The National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy is a flagship Federal Government initiative aimed at lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years through economic growth and targeted social protection,” she said.

The programme began with a pilot in Abuja on June 30, 2025, where participants underwent an intensive 10-day training in cybersecurity and web development, as well as solar energy installation.

Arogundade described the Abuja phase as a success, saying participants who initially had doubts about the programme left with practical and marketable skills.

“Participants who arrived sceptical left with practical, marketable skills, having built their first websites and gained an understanding of digital security fundamentals,” she said.