VET Toolbox To Train 1,000 Nigerians In Cashew, Ride Hailing Business

The VET- Toolbox, an institution founded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, and the European Union said it will train 1,000 Nigerians as part of an effort to reduce unemployment in the country.

The programme is also aimed at supporting the cashew and the transport and logistics sectors with skills development and training programmes.

This was disclosed in a statement by VET- Toolbox, seen by THE WHISTLER.

Nigeria’s unemployment level is at 33.3 per cent according to a 2021 data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Doyin Salami, President Muhammadu Buhari’s new chief economic adviser, projected that the rate will rise to 40 per cent by the end of 2021.

But the VET- Toolbox identified cashew and transport related businesses as one of the productive sectors that Nigerians can leverage.

VET- Toolbox said, “To tackle the challenges in both sectors, the VET-Toolbox will train a total of 1,000 beneficiaries including: 500 farmers and factory workers, as well as 500 dispatch riders, with 35 per cent of the beneficiaries being women.

“The action will also establish a pool of 50 expert trainers to support the implementation and sustainability of the training beyond the project’s life cycle.

“After the piloting phase, all training programmes will be made available to both sectors. Furthermore, the action supports private companies in advocating for policies that improve sector competitiveness by facilitating policy dialogues and providing recommendations to policy makers.”

It is estimated that Nigeria can gain $75m annually in additional revenues from promoting raw cashew nuts processing locally.

According to the institution, a cashew processor with a utilized capacity of 12,000 MT has the potential to create almost 800 direct jobs with an income potential of more than $6.3 million in the first seven years of operation.

“With direct farmer linkage programs, almost 16,000 farmers could benefit from an incremental income of more than $4.1 million in the first seven years,” it added.

For the transport and logistics sector (Gig-Economy), the VET-Tool Box partnered with Glovo to pilot blended learning (online and in-person) training programmes with a focus on delivery / dispatch riders.

VET-Toolbox believes that ride hailing drivers in Nigeria can earn over five times the minimum wage (NGN 30,000), with the average monthly income of NGN 159,978.