Dr. Fish Event Centre, Kwang, along Lamingo Rafield Road, Jos, was the venue packed-out with youths whose lives will never remain the same. The venue carried an unmistakable energy on the morning of February 19, 2026. Over a thousand young men and women, trainers, government officials, and development partners gathered under one roof for a ceremony that marked far more than an administrative formality it marked the beginning of a deliberate investment in the future of Plateau State’s youth.
The IDEAS-TVET Initiative, a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank, officially flagged off its Batch V Skills Training Programme in Plateau State, bringing together 13 accredited Training Service Providers (TSPs) to upskill, certify, and place 1,500 trainees across a wide range of vocational and technical disciplines.
The event opened with a welcome address by Mr. Heman Daniel, representing the Training Service Providers on the Plateau.
He acknowledged that it had already been five weeks of intensive activity across the various training centres, with facilitators and staff pouring in their energy before this official flag-off even took place. But he made clear why the ceremony mattered a formal launch is a key part of ensuring the programme’s credibility and success across the state.
Speaking directly to the trainees, he did not mince words: “There are people out there spending hundreds of thousands of naira to acquire the same knowledge and skills you are receiving completely free of charge. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, we have a habit of not valuing what costs us nothing. I urge you do not fall into that trap.”
He reminded participants of the programme’s straightforward structure: six months in total, split into three months of in-class training and three months of hands-on internship. He pointed to the track record of the TVET programme across other centres as proof that when taken seriously, it delivers real results. His message was clear and simple the government and its partners have invested in these young people. The ball is now in their court.
Mandong Patrick, Director of Livestock Services for Plateau State, speaking on behalf of the Honourable Commissioner for Livestock Development, drew a direct line between agricultural skills and economic independence. He reminded trainees that large-scale production in agriculture requires minimal capital yet yields significant returns, and urged everyone present trainees, facilitators, and organisers alike to pour their best into the programme. “From this training, you will gain knowledge and practical skills that you can take home skills that will enable you to become self-sustaining.”
Ishaku Jilemsam, Programme Manager of the Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP), delivered perhaps the morning’s most electrifying goodwill message. A teacher by training, he spoke with the conviction of someone who has watched potential go untapped for too long. He reminded participants that the programme was not merely about certificates it was about competence, innovation, and the ability to identify problems and create solutions.
He invoked a piece of wisdom passed down from his father: “if your certificate does not secure you a job, you must have something you can do with your hands”. He challenged participants to approach the training with discipline, punctuality, and a growth mindset because without these, no certification or starter pack would follow.
Before stepping down, he invited the hall to make a declaration together: “I am a moving billionaire, and nothing is stopping me.”
Dr. Chommi M. Stephen, Deputy Provost of the Federal College of Forestry, Jos, representing the Provost, reinforced the message that human capital is the true engine of national development not crude oil, not mineral resources, but people who are skilled, equipped, and ready to contribute.
“You are being sharpened. You are being equipped. You are being properly prepared to deliver to your generation.” No moment drew more applause than when the host of the venue, Dr. Adetunji Samuel Adebanjo widely known as Dr. Fish and MD/CEO of Sammadecom Global took the floor.
His story is the kind that belongs in a motivational textbook. He arrived in Plateau State in 2004 as a National Youth Service Corps member, with a degree in Business Communication. He never left. He married on the Plateau. He built his farm, established a radio station, diversified into engineering, housing, and distribution all through fish farming. “The same business that people once underestimated some even mocked has opened doors for me.”
He spoke plainly and passionately, urging trainees not to approach the programme with a quick-money mindset, but with a long-term vision of who they intend to become. He reminded them that the investment made in their training by the Federal Government, the World Bank, and their TSPs is substantial, and that opportunity may not always come twice. His closing promise was simple and powerful: “One day, we will gather again not to train you, but to celebrate you.”
Cletus Bako Shurkuk,
Honourable Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Plateau State, could not attend in person due to official engagements, but his message delivered by representative Mr. David Ezekiel Gani expressed full government backing for the initiative. He called the programme a direct expression of the Plateau State Government’s vision to promote employability, innovation, and self-reliance among the youth, and promised that government would leverage visible outcomes to introduce further empowerment schemes.
Mr. David Jang Zoyong, Special Adviser to the Governor on Skill Acquisition, made a particularly notable point about the evolution of skills training in Nigeria. He argued that vocational empowerment must move beyond the conventional beyond simply giving equipment and sending people out toward structured entrepreneurial frameworks, cooperatives, and sustainable growth models. He excused himself from official duties at Government House specifically to be present, calling the occasion too important to miss.
“Great endings often begin with small beginnings. Do not treat this as something you are doing because there is nothing else to do. Treat it as the foundation of your future.”
Dr. John Iliya, Director of TVET at the Plateau State Ministry of Education, arrived late pulled away by office duties before the Honourable Commissioner for Education’s call reminded him but his remarks were pointed and timely. He challenged the narrative that vocational training is a second-choice path, arguing that skilled entrepreneurs often out-earn and outlast their counterparts in formal employment.
“TVET is not a second option; it is a strategic pathway to economic empowerment.”
Bldr Adeleke Adediji Paul, Immediate past Plateau State Chairman and Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Building and representative of the National Project Coordinator Blessing Ogwu, provided a comprehensive overview of the initiative.
The IDEAS-TVET Programme is a Federal Government initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education, supported by the World Bank, designed to bridge Nigeria’s skills gap by equipping young people with practical, market-relevant competencies. In Plateau State alone, approximately 17 centres have been accredited 13 of which participated in this joint flag-off ceremony, described as the first time centres have come together in this unified fashion.
The 1,500 trainees across Plateau State will receive training in a wide range of skills including construction and masonry, crop production, agro-processing, media production, make-up artistry, ICT, fashion, renewable energy, and more. The programme runs for six months, three months of classroom instruction followed by three months of on-site practical application and concludes with the award of a National Skills Qualification (NSQ) Level Two Certificate, issued in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education.
The 13 Training Service Providers driving this effort on the Plateau are:
1. BOLS N SELS Technologies Ltd
2. Morene Ventures Limited
3. Rescued Gem Foundation
4. Zazina Corporate Service Nigeria Ltd
5. Country Women Association of Nigeria
6. Solap Furniture Limited
7. Sammadecom Integrated Concepts Limited
8. Zebra Multiservices Ltd
9. Bloom Niche Prime Ventures
10. Ray Pulse Media Nig Ltd
11. University of Jos Consult, Centre for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
12. EV Abwaih Blue Chip Ltd
13. Netaccess Communications Nigeria Ltd
The programme would mean little without hearing from the young people at its heart. Several trainees shared their experiences, and their words were genuine and grounded.
Awin Jilsin, training in make-up artistry with RayPulse, said the experience has gone beyond cosmetics: “The trainers have taught us that makeup is not just about beauty it’s about confidence.” She reported no challenges and described the experience as smooth and transformative.
Olabisi Gideon, trained at Sammadecom under Dr. Fish, was grateful and visibly moved: “This programme means a lot to us, and we are not taking it for granted.”
Nelson Dogara of Morene Ventures, studying painting and interior decoration, spoke with quiet confidence about his expectations: “By the end of this programme, I will be doing very well.”
Tahuli Ofegal Sylvester, from the College of Forestry training centre, offered the most candid feedback acknowledging the programme’s transformative impact while raising a practical concern about transport costs from rural areas to training centres. He also called for an expanded balance between theoretical learning and hands-on practical sessions. His constructive feedback reflects exactly the kind of engaged, invested trainee the programme is designed to produce.
A participant fromNetaccess Communications, training in videography, scriptwriting, and photography, put it simply: “This is a great opportunity for any youth looking to develop practical skills. To those youths who are currently idling take part in this.”
Mrs. Jessica Obadiah
brought the morning to a close with remarks that were warm, heartfelt, and full of faith in the young people seated before her. She noted with visible pride that some trainees arrive at their training centres before the staff a sign of the hunger and commitment that gives the programme its greatest hope.
“The knowledge and skills you are receiving from this training will stand the test of time. Embrace it wholeheartedly and apply it, because it will serve you for the rest of your lives.”
She closed with a promise and a blessing: that among those seated in the hall that morning, there are future company owners, future millionaires, future billionaires and that the day of celebration is not far off.
What unfolded at Dr. Fish Event Centre on February 19, 2026 was more than a flag-off. It was a declaration that Nigeria’s youth will not be left behind, that the Plateau has the capacity and the will to lead, and that skills, properly developed and nationally certified, are a passport to a life of dignity and purpose.
With 1,500 trainees, 13 dedicated training providers, and the backing of the Federal Government and the World Bank, the IDEAS-TVET Initiative on the Plateau is not simply upskilling young people. It is rewriting their futures one skill, one session, one certified graduate at a time.
