The Federal Government has trained 535 Nigerian youths in welding, fabrication, and metallurgy as part of its plan to reposition the country’s steel and metal sector for economic transformation.
The capacity-building initiative, tagged Bootcamp Training on Welding and Fabrication; Industrial Foundry and Metallurgy, and Instrumentation, Control and Mechanical Maintenance, ended on Friday, May 23, 2025, at the Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha, Anambra State.
In a statement signed by the ministry on Saturday, the training was to equip participants with practical skills and knowledge to enable contribute positively to the steel and metal sector.
The Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu, who presided over the closing ceremony, said the boot camp represented a significant step in the Federal Government’s strategic effort to revive the steel industry and equip young Nigerians with the skills required to contribute meaningfully to the national economy.
“This boot camp was not just about skills acquisition and equipment empowerment; it was about character development, discipline, and cultivating a mindset geared towards innovation, entrepreneurship, and national service,” Audu said.
He described the training as part of the administration’s broader plan to build a pipeline of skilled, patriotic professionals who will champion the growth of the emerging metallurgical and steel sectors in Nigeria.
Reeling out the achievements of the ministry under his watch, the minister restated the administration’s commitment to building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, as envisioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said the foundation of a self-reliant, industrialised Nigeria would be laid through investment in human capital and technical capacity.
“The success of this bootcamp is a testament to our commitment to youth empowerment through technical and vocational education. By investing in our youths, we are investing in the future of Nigeria,” he added.
Audu also lauded the facilitators from the ministry, as well as the management and instructors of MTI, for ensuring the smooth implementation of the programme.
He urged the graduating participants to act as ambassadors of the new industrial era and carry forward the values of diligence, excellence, and patriotism.
“As you receive your starter packs today, let them symbolise not an end, but a new beginning, the beginning of your journey into productivity, creativity, and national impact,” the minister charged the trainees.
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Industry, Christine Udechukwu, hailed the federal initiative, describing it as timely and impactful in addressing youth unemployment and promoting wealth creation.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Steel, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, represented by Chief Etiebat Nwachukwu, advocated for the bootcamp to become an annual intervention programme with full legislative backing.
“This training is a laudable step towards continuous youth development and aligns with the Federal Government’s progressive agenda,” Ndubueze said.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Chris Osa Isokpunwu, emphasised that the boot camp was conceived not just as a training event but as a transformative platform for nurturing entrepreneurial talent within Nigeria’s metals and steel value chain.
He shared the story of a young man from Northern Nigeria who started with a single welding machine and grew a thriving business that now employs over 150 people and exports to three West African countries.
The story, he said, was intended to inspire the graduates to dream big and aim higher.
Director of the Metallurgical Inspectorate Department, Engr. Frederick Ewa, in his remarks, noted that the boot camp attracted 258,833 applications from across Nigeria.
Out of these, 700 youths were selected through a rigorous, merit-based process and trained in four intensive batches at MTI, which he described as a “citadel of excellence in metallurgical education and practice.”
“The initiative is more than a training programme — it is a movement, a clarion call to action. We are investing in Nigeria’s most valuable resource: its youth,” Ewa said.
Representing the graduating trainees, General Course Representative, Esemuede Omoruyi, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and pledged that the beneficiaries would be worthy stewards of the skills they had acquired.
“We will not let this opportunity go to waste. We are committed to becoming dynamic contributors to a skilled, innovative and industrious Nigeria,” he said.
The boot camp forms part of the ministry’s broader strategy to build a sustainable workforce that will drive the growth of Nigeria’s metallurgical and steel sectors, both seen as pivotal to achieving long-term industrial development and economic prosperity.
