The Federal Government has unveiled a $20 million skills training programme targeting 12,000 out-of-school children as part of efforts to lift vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty, reduce social crises and equip them with employable skills to contribute to the national economy.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, disclosed this in Abuja during an interactive session with a delegation from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Nigeria, explaining that four foundations had already indicated interest in supporting the programme.

While outlining the Ministry’s ongoing reforms to strengthen humanitarian services and poverty reduction interventions, he said the government was reforming the humanitarian landscape to ensure that vulnerable populations received coordinated support capable of helping them achieve stability, overcome poverty and become productive contributors to the country’s economic development.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said was geared towards lifting poor Nigerians out of poverty, adding that the Ministry was working to translate the administration’s vision into practical interventions for disadvantaged groups.

The Minister explained that the Ministry was pursuing its proposed One Humanitarian One Poverty Reduction System (OHOPRS) programme, which is awaiting approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

He described the initiative as an integrated framework designed to connect humanitarian assistance with social protection and sustainable pathways out of poverty.

According to Doro, OHOPRS would coordinate interventions by the Federal Government and subnational authorities to improve collaboration, eliminate duplication and achieve better results.

He said the Ministry was developing 20 models to identify vulnerable people and guide them through structured pathways towards stability and economic independence.

On the planned training programme, the Minister said the government had identified 12,000 out-of-school children for specialised training, noting that conventional teaching methods might not be suitable for many of them because they had outgrown the normal school-going stage.

He explained that the programme would deploy special training tools to equip the children with practical skills, after which they would receive relevant certifications to enable them to secure employment or engage in productive economic activities.

The Minister, who called on Nigerians in the diaspora to partner with the Ministry by supporting initiatives aimed at lifting vulnerable groups out of poverty, advocated the establishment of a National Economic Trust Fund, urging the Federal Government, development partners and philanthropists to pool resources to provide sustainable financing for humanitarian interventions.

Dr Doro congratulated the IOM on its achievements over the past 25 years and commended the organisation’s contributions to humanitarian services in Nigeria. He expressed optimism that the next 25 years would deliver greater benefits to vulnerable populations through stronger partnerships between the organisation and the Ministry.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Ms Sylvia Ekra, attributed the organisation’s progress in Nigeria to its cordial partnership with the government and people of the country, particularly the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

Ms Ekra applauded the Minister’s vision and leadership, expressing the organisation’s commitment to supporting the Ministry in implementing the OHOPRS programme and advancing plans for the proposed humanitarian trust fund.

She expressed optimism that the partnership would help strengthen coordinated interventions and improve support for vulnerable populations.

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