President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦3.6 billion for the Industrial Training Fund’s Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) programme to enhance vocational skills, beginning with the training and business incubation of tailors across the country.
The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s informal sector, improve technical capacity and promote entrepreneurship among artisans.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Industrial Training Fund, Dr. Afiz Ogun, announced the approval on Wednesday in Abuja during the screening exercise for applicants seeking to participate in the programme.
According to Ogun, the government intends to train approximately 200,000 artisans under the 2026 edition of the SUPA initiative.
He explained that the screening exercise, which is taking place simultaneously across the country, represents the first phase of the programme and is aimed at identifying genuine artisans who are committed to improving their skills.
Applicants, he said, are undergoing documentation checks and practical assessments before final selection.
“For this year, we are incubating businesses for tailors because they constitute a large number of participants. The President has approved N3.6bn for this initiative,” he said.
Ogun noted that the President conceived the programme after observing that artisans from neighbouring African countries, as well as nations such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and China, were increasingly taking advantage of employment opportunities within Nigeria’s informal economy.
He said the objective is to build a highly skilled indigenous workforce capable of meeting both domestic and international demand for technical services.
The ITF chief stressed that only authentic artisans would benefit from the intervention, saying the screening process was necessary to eliminate impostors seeking to exploit the programme.
“We are screening them because some people will say they are artisans, but they are not artisans. Some people just want to come and collect the Federal Government money and go. They will not participate in the training.
“We want real artisans who are ready to scale up and improve their skills,” Ogun said.
He further explained that the programme would introduce a comprehensive system of data collection, certification and licensing for artisans across Nigeria.
According to him, the initiative will enable customers to verify the professional credentials of artisans before engaging their services, thereby promoting accountability and improving service standards.
Screening exercises, he added, are currently ongoing in every senatorial district across the federation.
“The President wants Nigerian artisans to be trained, certified and licensed. When you engage a plumber or an electrician, you should be able to verify the person’s credentials, track performance and hold them accountable. This will improve service quality and create confidence in the sector,” he said.
Ogun also disclosed that the government has abandoned its previous approach of distributing starter packs immediately after training because several beneficiaries sold the equipment instead of using them to establish businesses.
Instead, he said successful participants would either be prepared for overseas employment opportunities through talent export programmes, linked directly with employers for job placement or enrolled into structured business incubation schemes designed to support long-term enterprise development.
“Our extension workers, who have been trained by the International Labour Organisation, will continue to support them after the training. Technical teams will also help them maintain and repair their equipment where necessary,” he added.
Under the tailoring incubation programme, beneficiaries will receive industrial sewing machines, overlock machines, specialised stitching equipment, electric cutters, consumables, business signboards and continuous mentoring alongside entrepreneurship training.
Ogun further revealed that the programme would introduce a digital marketplace where certified artisans can display their services, receive customer ratings and connect directly with potential clients.
According to him, the initiative is expected to improve service delivery, increase artisans’ earnings, expand employment opportunities and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth by strengthening the informal sector.
