Skill Acquisition: Ondo State Govt Empowers 200 Graduates
Date: 20th January,2026
By Olusegun Hosea
The Ondo State Government has empowered 200 graduates with various skill-acquisition tools to support their businesses and promote self-reliance across the state.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Oluwaseun Osamaye, disclosed this during the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the 2025 Skill Acquisition Programme, held at the International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome), Igbatoro Road, Akure.
Dr Osamaye described the programme as the first of its kind, noting that the beneficiaries underwent six weeks of intensive training in different vocational skills. She explained that the initiative was designed to equip participants with practical skills that would enable them to become self-reliant in their chosen fields.
According to her, the state government plans to partner with political constituencies to expand the programme, with a target of empowering 2,000 beneficiaries in the next phase of the training.
She added that each graduate would receive empowerment tools relevant to their areas of specialization, including sewing machines, ovens, mixers and laptops. She emphasized that the items were provided to support business growth and enhance economic development within the communities.
In goodwill messages, speakers at the event advised the beneficiaries to make proper use of the materials for business development, stressing that not everyone would secure government employment and that entrepreneurship remains a viable path to economic independence.
According to her, she said ” First, let me appreciate the Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. She said that today’s graduation ceremony of the first batch of 2025 graduates of the Skill Acquisition Training Centre, also tagged O’Datiwa Skill-Up: A Woman Initiative, is a testament to his unwavering commitment to the transformation of lives and the improvement of women’s livelihoods. This administration is not paying lip service, but demonstrating through concrete actions that when women are empowered, the nation continues to grow.
She continued that today, we are witnessing the transformation of these beneficiaries who have gone through rigorous training in different classes, including ICT, fashion designing, soap making, interior decoration and catering. These trainees have come out exceptionally well, as evidenced by the exhibition of their products.
Today, they will be going home with empowerment materials relevant to the skills they have acquired, such as sewing machines, laptops, fabricators and mixers. In addition to these, some of them will also receive cash grants as start-up capital to support their businesses and make them financially independent.
We are grateful to the Governor for this opportunity. I can assure you that we have empowered 200 beneficiaries in this batch, and the next batch will be even larger. Once again, we appreciate the Governor for his support”
In his speech, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, urged the beneficiaries not to sell the empowerment tools. He described the items as instruments for wealth creation and investment in their future.
The governor assured that the skill acquisition programme would be sustained and expanded under his administration, with the aim of reducing unemployment, eradicating poverty and building a self-reliant economy in Ondo State.
He encouraged the graduates to become job creators rather than job seekers, while also urging them to uphold discipline, professionalism and continuous learning as they establish their businesses.
The event marked the graduation and empowerment of the first batch of trainees under the O’Datiwa Skill-Up: A Woman Initiative.
