In a move to address youth unemployment through skill-based training, Kwara State’s Social Investment Programme, or KWASSIP, has signed a partnership with SUREMech, an automobile repair and maintenance platform, to train young residents in modern automotive technologies—laying the groundwork for economic inclusion in one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors.
The initiative will see the launch of SUREMech Academy in Kwara, offering hands-on instruction in automotive diagnostics, repairs, and business management.
The programme is designed not only to prepare graduates for employment but also to equip them with the tools and network needed to run their own workshops. for employment but for entrepreneurship.
Unlike traditional skills programme that end with certification, this academy connects graduates directly to SUREMech’s digital service ecosystem.
This built-in market access increases the chances of real income generation, addressing a core challenge that has limited the impact of many vocational programmes across Nigeria.
A strategic response to a national crisis
The partnership comes at a time when youth underemployment continues to shadow Nigeria’s economic recovery. Despite a reported drop in the headline unemployment rate to 5.0% in late 2023 (under a revised methodology), nearly 42% of Nigerian youths remain underemployed or trapped in low-paying jobs.
11.9% are classified NEET—not in employment, education, nor training (NEET), according to the World Bank.
Kwara has made strides through initiatives like the Ilorin Innovation Hub and Kwapreneur, which funded over 500 startups. As with similar interventions around Nigeria, these programmes often struggle with scalability and long-term impact.
Neighbouring states offer lessons. Ogun State has linked vocational colleges with its industrial parks to bridge the classroom-to-workplace divide.
In a similar vein, Kaduna’s KADSTEP and Lagos’ Employability Support Project trained thousands of youth in fields like construction and hospitality. Yet many graduates remained disconnected from the labour market, highlighting the fact that skills alone are not enough—they must be tied to real-world opportunities.
Unlocking Nigeria’s automotive potential
The SUREMech-KWASSIP partnership targets a sector teeming with potential. Nigeria’s automotive sector is projected to manufacture over 6 million vehicles by 2050, driven by urban development and a growing middle class.
Yet the industry faces a chronic shortage of technicians trained to handle modern diagnostics and repairs.
Across Nigeria, car servicing remains largely informal, with apprenticeships often lacking structured curricula or credentials. The result is a growing skills mismatch—vehicles are growing more technologically advanced, but mechanics lack the knowledge to service them effectively.
The new academy aims to professionalise this sector by offering training that aligns with global standards while grounding it in local realities. By integrating graduates into SUREMech’s platform, the model also creates pathways to sustainable, digitally connected careers.
Tackling systemic barriers
For this model to work, it must overcome common hurdles: limited access to startup capital, cultural bias against technical trades, and the perception that vocational skills are inferior to university degrees. It must also show that blue-collar careers can offer dignity, stability and social mobility.
What sets this partnership apart is its focus on continuity—linking training, tools and trade under one roof. It also builds on lessons from past programmes, explicitly addressing the gaps in mentorship and follow-up support that have derailed earlier efforts.
The KWASSIP–SUREMech alliance is attempting something larger: to reframe how we think about work, education and opportunity. By marrying practical skills with digital innovation and market access, it is creating not just jobs but futures.
If it succeeds, dusty garages across Kwara may no longer be seen as dead-ends but as launchpads for economic transformation.
Kwara State's Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) has partnered with SUREMech to address youth unemployment by launching the SUREMech Academy, which will offer training in modern automotive technologies. This initiative aims to provide youth not just with employment skills but also the tools and networks for entrepreneurship. As opposed to traditional skills programs that stop at certification, graduates of this academy will gain direct access to SUREMech’s digital service ecosystem, increasing their chances for income generation and economic inclusion.
This partnership emerges as a strategic response to Nigeria’s ongoing youth underemployment crisis, despite a decrease in official unemployment rates. KWASSIP has previously launched initiatives like the Ilorin Innovation Hub and Kwapreneur, funding numerous startups but often struggling with long-term scalability. The SUREMech-KWASSIP academy targets the burgeoning automotive sector, projected for substantial growth, but currently hamstrung by a shortage of skilled technicians able to handle modern automotive technology.
Critical to the success of this model will be overcoming barriers such as limited startup capital, cultural biases against vocational training, and generally low perceptions of technical trades. The collaboration aims not only to equip trainees with skills but also to integrate them into a sustainable, digitally-connected career path, setting a precedent for redefining work, education, and opportunity in Nigeria. If successful, it could transform perceptions of vocational careers, turning garages into hubs of economic transformation in Kwara.
