Graduate
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, Aug. 27, 2026 (NAN) No fewer than 500 young Nigerians on Thursday graduated from the IshK Vocational Skills Programme after completing training for sustainable livelihoods.
The training equipped participants with technical, entrepreneurial and employability skills in Fashion, Carpentry, Plumbing, Masonry and Solar Installation.
They also trained in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, in partnership with Field of Skill and Dream, Autogic and Ananse Centre for Design.
Speaking at the ceremony in Ikeja, Mr Oje Ivagba, Programme Director, Nigeria (Skilling), IshK Tolaram Foundation, praised the graduates’ commitment.
Ivagba said the graduates demonstrated “hard work, discipline, commitment and determination to succeed” throughout the programme.
“They were selected, trained, mentored and tested; they showed up for practicals, internships and late nights, and they finished,” he said.
Ivagba said the certificates represented the graduates’ foundation for building sustainable careers and businesses in the future.
He said the IshK Skills Hub in Lagos combined technical training with soft skills, workplace experience, certification and access to tools.
According to him, more than 2,000 young people had been trained, with over 70 per cent employed or running businesses.
“Through our Alumni Business Support Grant, we have invested over ₦20 million in tools to help our best graduates,” he added.
The grant, he said, would help beneficiaries establish and grow sustainable businesses across their communities.
Ivagba said the 2026 graduation, themed “TVET in the Age of AI: Skills, Jobs, and Youth Livelihoods”, highlighted the need for adaptable workers.
He said the future belonged to people who could work with technology, adapt, learn, solve problems and apply uniquely human skills.
Ivagba urged graduates to embrace emerging technologies, remain curious and continue learning while seeking employment or creating opportunities for others.
He said tackling youth unemployment required collaboration among government, the private sector, schools and development partners.
Such collaboration, he added, would strengthen technical and vocational education while creating sustainable livelihoods across Nigeria.
“Together, we must build a TVET ecosystem producing skilled professionals, entrepreneurs and job creators equipped for today’s realities,” Ivagba said.
He added that such an ecosystem must prepare Nigeria’s workforce and economy for emerging opportunities and challenges.
In his keynote address, Dr Victor Odumuyiwa, Director, NITDA IT Hub, University of Lagos, urged graduates to value their skills.
Odumuyiwa said TVET should no longer be viewed as a fallback option for people unable to gain university admission.
Instead, he described vocational education as a credible pathway to national development and economic transformation.
He said Nigeria needed more skilled implementers than conventional graduates to tackle infrastructure, industrial and other development challenges.
“Respect what you do and yourself before seeking respect from others because the way you carry yourself determines how society values your skills,” he said.
Odumuyiwa said a job was something offered by an organisation, while livelihood involved building or developing an enterprise independently.
“A job is something someone or an establishment offers you, but livelihood is an enterprise you build or develop yourself,” he added.
The keynote speaker charged graduates to embrace readiness, relevance, resourcefulness and resolve while adapting continually to technological changes.
He particularly urged them to understand Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies relevant to their respective trades.
Odumuyiwa said AI would not necessarily replace skilled workers who understood how to apply it effectively.
Instead, he said, technology would create an advantage for workers who successfully integrated it into their trades.
Mr Oluwajoba Oloba, Lead, Private Sector and Engagement, National Export Talent Programme, urged graduates to add digital capabilities to their acquired skills.
Oloba advised them to identify market demand for their trades and apply their skills strategically to serve communities and expand opportunities.
“Diagnose faults faster, build on rising digital skills, network and cybersecurity, technological literacy, human creative thinking and get certification that travels,” he said.
He also urged the graduates to develop visible evidence of their work to strengthen their professional credibility.
The ceremony featured the presentation of the IshK Alumni Business Grant Award, IshK Award of Excellence and recognition of Skills Pathways trainees.
A total of ₦15 million was awarded to 20 beneficiaries to support and expand businesses linked to their acquired vocational skills.
Outstanding trainees were also recognised for their commitment, excellence and achievements throughout the vocational skills training programme. (NAN)
MIL/KTO
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