Group graduates 150 Nigerians for income activation

By Naomi Sharang

The National Income Activation Initiative (NIAI) has graduated more than 150 Nigerians who qualified for income activation opportunities across eight vendor pathways to promote sustainable livelihoods.

The initiative held its first national graduation and income activation ceremony virtually, bringing together government representatives, private-sector leaders, participating vendors and beneficiaries.

Mrs Gloria Diri, Wife of the Bayelsa Governor, congratulated the graduates and commended the initiative’s focus on economic empowerment and human capacity development.

Diri encouraged participants to demonstrate discipline, perseverance and consistency as they began income-generating activities, describing the graduation as an important transition from learning to earning.

Khuraira Musa, Lead of NIAI, said the initiative was established to bridge the gap between acquiring skills and generating actual income.

Musa said the initiative’s guiding philosophy, “Learn, Activate, Earn,” emphasised connecting participants to practical commercial opportunities rather than ending training with certificates.

She, however, clarified that qualifying for income activation did not automatically mean a participant had started earning, adding that success would be measured through verified income generation and sustained livelihoods.

According to her, NIAI facilitates participant screening, assessment, matching, activation coordination, monitoring and reporting, while participating vendors provide pathway-specific training, market opportunities and operational support.

She added that the vendor pathways covered opportunities in digital services, product marketing, entrepreneurship, agriculture, distribution and other income-generating activities.

“Vendor pathways are the specific income-generating opportunities offered by our partner businesses, including agriculture, digital services, beauty, commodity distribution and other sectors.

“Participants are screened, matched, trained by vendors and assessed for activation,” she said.

Musa said registration, onboarding, training, assessment and income activation were free, adding that the initiative’s sustainability model relied on institutional partnerships, development support and ethical commercial arrangements with vendors.

She also acknowledged President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima for their administration’s commitment to economic and financial inclusion.

Dr Nurudeen Zauro, Presidential Technical Adviser on Economic and Financial Inclusion, delivered a keynote address through Mrs Oluseye Olutimayin.

He emphasised the need to link skills acquisition with measurable economic outcomes to ensure training translated into meaningful financial opportunities.

The address, themed “Beyond Skills Acquisition: Advancing Economic and Financial Inclusion Through Sustainable Income Opportunities,” highlighted the importance of market access, financial services and sustainable livelihoods.

Zauro also recommended tracking participants’ earnings and economic progress over three, six and 12 months to assess the initiative’s impact and sustainability.

Hauwa Aliyu, Federal Commissioner representing Jigawa at the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), urged graduates to apply their skills productively and explore opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Similarly, Iklima Salihu, Special Assistant to the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency on Strategic Partnerships, encouraged participants to embrace continuous learning, innovation and emerging technologies.

Dr Abdulrashid Yerima, Regional President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the West Africa Private Sector Entrepreneurs Association, expressed the association’s readiness to explore collaboration with NIAI in entrepreneurship development, mentorship and vendor partnerships.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NIAI, officially unveiled on Aug. 19, has registered more than 1,000 participants across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) within two months.

Of the registered participants, 452 have been onboarded, while 150 qualified for income activation through eight vendor pathways. The initiative has also engaged 32 vendors.(NAN)

NNL/AMM

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Edited by Abiemwense Moru