Reopening community skills development centres in Nigeria

Despite widespread recognition of the importance of education, a significant barrier still exists in Nigeria: distance to school. In many parts of the country, communities do not have access to nearby centres for skills development and training opportunities.

To this extent, ILO ACCEL Africa has identified a good practice in reopening existing community skills development centres and providing easy access to training among 15 to 17 year olds. In Ondo State, the Fagbo Skills Acquisition Centre was identified, as it was located right in the heart of the community and did not require the youth to look for funds for their transportation to the centre. However, despite its ideal location, the centre had been dormant for over 15 years. The centre was built and funded by the government that was previously in power, but was closed down after the administration left.

Upon the reopening of the skills development centre, sixty youth aged 15 to 17 years old were enrolled and trained on different skills, such as tailoring, catering, barbering and hairdressing. They were provided with learning materials, and were also provided psychosocial support and training on how to access finance for their businesses.

The initiative culminated with these students completing their training programmes and receiving start-up kits for their ventures. To ensure that their new skills are put to use, open market days were organised for the graduates to showcase their products and services. The successful programme quickly became well-known within the community, and young people from other communities expressed their desire to join.