Seventy-five youths in Lagos State have been empowered with free professional training in beauty and cosmetology, alongside monthly stipends of N30,000, under the F0ederal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.
The beneficiaries, undergoing training at Elegant Twins Institute of Cosmetology, Surulere, are acquiring practical skills in makeup, hairdressing, nail technology and spa services to enhance their employment opportunities and prepare them for entrepreneurship.
The intervention is being implemented under the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project, a Federal Government initiative supported by the World Bank and coordinated through the Federal Ministry of Education.
Some beneficiaries, including Abdulhakeem Shamsudeen, Omotosho Okwemi and Boma Messe-Britz, commended the government for providing free training and financial support.
Shamsudeen said he had acquired additional skills in nail technology and makeup, while Messe-Britz said the programme had improved her practical knowledge of makeup, hairdressing, nail technology and spa services.
They praised their instructors and called for the continuation of the initiative.
The Centre Manager of Elegant Twins Institute, Kunle Oladunjoye, said the institution was selected as a training service provider through a transparent and merit-based process involving interviews and verification of applicants’ information.
He said professional instructors, including former students with substantial industry experience, were delivering the training, adding that beneficiaries had demonstrated encouraging progress and were developing the confidence and practical abilities required to establish their own businesses.
Oladunjoye also commended the Federal Government for meeting its financial obligations to the centre and providing monthly stipends for beneficiaries.
The founder of the institute, Mrs. Elizabeth Adebisi Oshisoya, who traced her involvement in cosmetology training to 1950, described the intervention as an important opportunity to expand access to professional vocational skills.
She recalled her longstanding training activities in Ibadan, Ijebu and Calabar, expressing appreciation to the government for supporting vocational empowerment and self-reliance.
The National Project Monitoring Officer for TVET and IDEAS in the Office of the Minister of Education, Mr. Olatunji Odewunmi, disclosed the development during a monitoring visit to Elegant Twins Institute and Federal Technical College (FTC), Yaba, Lagos.
Odewunmi said the exercise was aimed at assessing training delivery, institutional performance, compliance with programme requirements and progress made by beneficiaries.
He disclosed that Lagos State had approximately 128 TVET centres providing opportunities for Nigerians to acquire vocational skills.
According to him, the programme provides support for essential training requirements, including registration, accommodation and learning materials, while training service providers receive N50,000 per trainee monthly.
He said the intervention was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s skilled workforce, develop local technical capacity, reduce dependence on foreign artisans and equip young people with competencies for employment and entrepreneurship.
At FTC Yaba, the IDEAS Project Manager, Abimbola Oyedeji, said the intervention, which commenced about five years ago, had contributed to increased student enrolment and improved practical skills training.
She listed the supported vocational areas to include blocklaying and concreting, tiling, woodwork, auto body building, computer craft and catering craft.
Some beneficiaries also testified to the impact of the programme.
Leo Uzoma said the provision of free training and equipment had enhanced his practical learning, while Oni Oluwada said he had improved his knowledge of electrical installation.
Adebayo Mowufin Oluwada said the training was strengthening her preparation for further studies and a career in electrical engineering.
The IDEAS Project is part of the Federal Government’s broader TVET reform agenda under Pillar One of the National Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), aimed at equipping Nigerians with industry-relevant competencies for employment, entrepreneurship and national economic development.
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<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
