Tinubu’s Skills Programme Trains 250,000 Nigerians, Places Nearly 50% of First Graduates in Jobs – Alausa

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has disclosed that about 250,000 Nigerians are currently undergoing skills training under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with nearly 50 per cent of graduates from the first cohort already securing employment.

Alausa, who disclosed on Channels Television’s Programme Politics Today on Wednesday while speaking on the Federal Government’s skills acquisition and employability initiative, said beneficiaries receive a monthly stipend of ₦30,000 throughout their training across more than 1,200 skills training centres nationwide.

He explained that the programme attracted significant interest from Nigerians, noting that 1.3 million applicants registered within 10 days of the portal opening for the first cohort.

According to him, about 36,000 beneficiaries have graduated from the first cohort and are undergoing National Skills Qualification (NSQ) assessments, while another 180,000 participants are currently being trained under the second cohort.

The minister said the government had also involved private-sector operators, sectoral skills councils and awarding bodies in the programme to ensure that beneficiaries acquire relevant skills and improve their employment opportunities.

He disclosed that approximately ₦66 billion had been disbursed directly to beneficiaries as monthly stipends, adding that the initiative was designed not only to secure jobs for graduates but also to encourage them to establish small businesses and become job creators.

Alausa further revealed that the government provides starter packs to beneficiaries to support their transition into entrepreneurship.

He said private skills training centres are also receiving ₦50,000 for every student trained as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem.

Defending the programme, the minister challenged Nigerians to visit the training centres and independently verify the government’s claims and the progress being made by beneficiaries.

On the education sector, Alausa claimed that there had been no major school closures since 2023 and that the Federal Government had fully met the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

He also described Tinubu as Nigeria’s first internationally exposed president, citing his studies at Chicago State University in the United States and his accounting background as evidence of his academic credentials and intellectual capacity.

The minister, who said he had visited the university several times and personally met some of Tinubu’s former classmates, described the President as a genius.

Alausa further praised Tinubu’s performance, maintaining that his administration had made significant transformations across all sectors of the economy.

He urged Nigerians to re-elect the President in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, arguing that his achievements justify another term in office.