Building Skills, Powering the Future: Ekiti’s IDEAS Project in Action.

Building Skills, Powering the Future: Ekiti’s IDEAS Project in Action.
By Olamide Akinwumi

Education remains a critical pillar of sustainable development, and under the purposeful leadership of His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, Ekiti State is taking bold and practical steps to reposition technical and vocational education for relevance, excellence, and global competitiveness.

Through the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project, the Ekiti State Government has demonstrated a clear commitment to producing a skilled, employable, and future-ready workforce across the state.

The IDEAS Project has delivered remarkable interventions across the three Government Technical Colleges (GTCs) in Ekiti State, including the comprehensive renovation of workshops, college libraries, project offices, and WASH facilities—creating safe, modern, and enabling learning environments for students and instructors alike. To strengthen hands-on learning, modern workshop equipment has been procured for three trades in each of the GTCs, ensuring students gain industry-relevant skills.

Recognising the importance of reliable infrastructure, the project provided solar-powered boreholes, installed 20KVA solar inverters, supplied 20KVA diesel engines, and procured school buses for the three GTCs—significantly improving power supply, water access, mobility, and overall institutional efficiency.

Capacity building has also remained a core focus of the IDEAS Project. In partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), 109 Master Craft Persons (MCPs) underwent generic training in December 2023 at the Government Technical College, Ado Ekiti. This was followed by the training of 250 apprentices in March 2024, equipping young people with practical skills for self-reliance and employment.

Furthermore, the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU) facilitated the first cohort training of 250 Technical Teachers and Instructors across the South-West zone between November and December 2023. This momentum continued with a second cohort training in February 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State, focusing on pedagogy, digital skills, and trade-specific competencies, ensuring educators are well-prepared for modern teaching demands.

Beyond formal institutions, the Ekiti State Government engaged five private digital organisations—four in Ado Ekiti and one in Ikun—to provide digital skills training for unemployed youths, expanding opportunities and promoting inclusion in the digital economy.

Altogether, the IDEAS Project reflects a forward-thinking approach to education—one that blends infrastructure, capacity development, technology, and partnerships to empower Ekiti youths with skills for today and tomorrow.

Indeed, this is a clear testament to purposeful governance, people-focused leadership, and an unwavering belief in education as the engine of development.

Ekiti is building skills. Ekiti is shaping the future.
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