By Ali Elias
In a renewed push to deepen local content and tackle youth unemployment, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Jake Riley Academy, has trained and equipped over 250 young Nigerians with technical and digital skills aimed at fostering self-reliance and supporting industrial development.
The beneficiaries graduated after a month-long intensive training programme under the FAST Selling Skills Training Programme, an initiative designed to deliver practical, income-generating skills and provide business starter packs to enable participants transition immediately into commercial services.
The graduation ceremony, held at the Women Development Centre, Agege, Lagos State, marked the culmination of one of NCDMB’s demand-driven capacity development interventions, targeted at aligning youth skills with current market and industry needs.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Capacity Building at NCDMB, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, challenged Nigerian youths to embrace skills acquisition as a sustainable pathway to self-reliance and national development. He was represented by Mr. John Barigha, Supervisor, Marine Vessel Categorisation and Technical Assistant to the Director.
Barigha urged the graduates to make effective use of the opportunity, stressing that the long-term value of the programme would depend on discipline, dedication and commitment.
“We are not giving you fish; we are teaching you how to fish. What we have given you today is the net. It is now left for you to make meaningful use of it,” he said.
He cautioned beneficiaries against trivialising the programme or selling off the starter packs provided, noting that the Board had invested heavily to ensure the initiative delivered lasting impact. He also disclosed that NCDMB was concluding plans to roll out a new training programme targeted at youths aged 35 years and below, particularly those with engineering backgrounds, to expand participation in the oil and gas sector.
In her keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer of Jake Riley Limited, Mrs. Funmi Ogbue, described the graduation as a defining moment for the 250 young Nigerians, noting that the programme reflected NCDMB’s expanding role in local content development, with youth empowerment at its core.
“Today celebrates not just achievement, but a national vision positioning young people as drivers of Nigeria’s economic future,” Ogbue said.
She described the initiative as a strategic human capital investment aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s inclusive growth agenda, adding that the training prioritised market-ready skills capable of generating immediate income across fast-growing sectors of the economy.
“What these graduands have received is not charity, but capability,” she said.
Ogbue explained that beneficiaries were selected through a transparent process and exposed to intensive foundational training before advancing into seven specialised skill tracks, including solar installation, fashion design, catering, digital freelancing, textile and Adire making, electrical installation and GSM phone repair.
Also speaking, the Head of JR Academy, Jake Riley Limited, Mrs. Ojinika Mba-Kalu, challenged the graduates to pursue excellence, become employers of labour and deploy their certificates as keys to opportunity.
“These starter packs represent an investment in your future by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, through Jake Riley Limited. But remember this: tools alone do not guarantee success. Your attitude does. Your work ethic does. Your integrity does,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, a digital marketing trainee, Miss Grace Ateri, described the programme as transformative.
“The training was intensive but rewarding. The practical exposure boosted our confidence to work independently,” Ateri said.
Another beneficiary, Mr. Anuba Chidera, a solar installation trainee, described the training as life-changing, citing its strong real-world focus.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates and distribution of starter packs, enabling graduates to immediately start or expand their businesses. Participants included 162 digital skills trainees, 20 solar installers, 23 caterers, 22 fashion designers and others trained in technical trades.