LAGOS STATE, Nigeria, In a decisive move to combat poverty and ignite economic self-reliance, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, over the weekend launched the Skill-to-Wealth Programme in Lagos—an ambitious cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister described the initiative as a direct response to the nation’s urgent need for practical, income-generating skills, announcing thatacross all six geopolitical zones will benefit from training in agribusiness, solar installation, and automechanics.
“This is how we move people from learning to earning, and from potential to prosperity,” Prof. Yilwatda declared during the unveiling, drawing applause from stakeholders and beneficiaries.
The programme, which spans three intensive weeks, doesn’t just end with training. Participants will receive starter packs, setting them on a fast-track to entrepreneurship and sustainable income.
Experts hail the rollout as a game-changer in poverty intervention, shifting the paradigm from handouts to hands-on empowerment. The Skill-to-Wealth Programme is expected to produce thousands of self-reliant Nigerians in its first phase alone.
“This is not charity, this is capacity,” Prof. Yilwatda emphasized. “We are building a nation of skilled workers, not beggars.”
The launch in Lagos marks the first of a nationwide rollout aimed at bridging the gap between unemployment and economic independence. With tools in hand and knowledge in their grasp, a new generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs is rising—one skill at a time.
