Yemisi Ayoola never wanted to leave school. When her parents ran out of money after junior secondary school, she had no choice but to stay home and watch her ambitions slip away.
Today, the 18-year-old is learning hairdressing and makeup at the Princess Ruth Ainu Ataiyero Skills Acquisition Centre in Ilesa, Osun State. She told BusinessDay the free training has given her hope again.
"If government can help me go back to school after this training, I will be very happy," she said.
Janet Yemi, 22, spent years working as a salesgirl after finishing secondary school. She's now training in fashion design while hoping to return to formal education.
"If admission doesn't come immediately, I want to become a professional fashion designer and own my own shop," she said.
Victoria Olushola's story stands out even more. At 62, she's returned to learning after abandoning tailoring over four decades ago when her parents couldn't complete her apprenticeship fees.
"When I heard the training was free, I came back. I want government to help us with more sewing machines," she said.
These three represent hundreds of thousands of young people in Osun State facing an education crisis. According to the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF, about 297,000 children in the state aren't in school, making up 13 percent of school-age children.
Though this percentage has dropped from previous years, it remains the highest across Nigeria's South-West region. Boys are affected more than girls.
The centre, established last year by philanthropist Sir Prince Chief Samson Ataiyero in memory of his late wife, charges nothing. Registration is free, training is free, and practical materials are free.
Courses span fashion design, ICT, catering, beauty therapy, plumbing and entrepreneurship. The doors stay open to everyone regardless of faith or ethnicity.
Akindu Ajayi, administrative assistant of the Ilesa Anglican Diocese, said the centre welcomes students from all backgrounds. "We have Christians, Muslims, Yoruba, Igbo and people from different backgrounds," he noted.
"This is not about religion or ethnicity. We only want to empower young people."
The Osun State Ministry of Education and UNICEF are now folding the centre into a broader digital education strategy. The approach combines free skills training with digital learning and artificial intelligence to reconnect vulnerable children with schooling and job prospects.
Results are already showing. According to centre director Gladys Olanubi Fadahunsi, about 70 percent of the first 48 graduates were young people who'd dropped out of school, while others were still waiting for high school admission.
For state officials, those statistics represent far more than numbers on paper. They're children whose futures hang in the balance without proper education or marketable skills.
