Abuja, Nigeria – Tuesday, 16th September 2025, was a memorable day for The Centre as it launched the 8th cohort of Fashionistas (You First Cohort) and Nutripreneur Cohort 2 training programmes at its global incubation hub headquarters in Abuja. Through a generous grant from First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., APDC will train 200 women in various skills under the fashionistas programme over four cohorts. This initiative is a core part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility to empower women and support the creative industry.

The Managing Director of APDC, Dr. Chiji Ojukwu, in his welcome address, outlined the programme's scope: over the next 12 weeks, 50 women will receive training in Fashion Design, Makeup Artistry and Hair Styling, whilst 12 women will be trained in Nutrition. The curated curriculum covers essential Business Skills, including digital literacy, finance, marketing and entrepreneurship, equipping participants to tackle unemployment while making their mark on the global fashion and nutrition industries.

Speaking at the launch, Olusegun Alebiosu MD/CEO FirstBank Group, represented by Rabi Bawa, Group Head of FirstBank Abuja 2, charged the trainees to maximise this opportunity, and commended APDC for the incredible work in building the capacity of youth and women in the country, noting that the collaboration with the bank will assist in advancing that mission.

APDC's Director of Programme, Partnerships, and Policy, Maaruf Yakub, emphasised the programme's global vision: "We are not merely training people to sew clothes, style hair or apply makeup for the next casual event; rather, we are building a culture of exporting African style and fabric, glamour and hairdos to international markets. The fashion industry is worth $4.7 billion, and Nigeria isn't adequately tapping into this market. Through this programme, we can change that."

He added, "We're providing an environment where like-minded individuals can inspire each other. Upon graduation, you'll join our growing family of 7,000 trained alumni and form cooperatives to get easy access to funding to scale up your businesses. We look forward to the next 12 weeks and the upcoming trade fair where you'll showcase your new expertise to potential partners and investors."

For the Nutripreneurs programme, Yakub noted that through this programme, the Centre is raising nutrition-conscious young people and raising entrepreneurs who will create healthy alternative food brands to compete with established market leaders, thereby improving the health of Africans by extension.

The event featured success stories from past programme beneficiaries, inspiring new trainees with their achievements. In her closing remarks, Mrs. Tobechi Enyioko, the Snr. Marketing Sales Coordinator, Events/Partnership, Marketing and Corporate Communication at FirstBank, challenged participants to seize the opportunity. She expressed her satisfaction with the work APDC is doing and encouraged the new trainees to apply themselves and be dedicated to the training.  
 

"I'm thoroughly impressed by what I've witnessed today. Apply yourselves and be dedicated," she said. "Remember these words throughout your learning journey: the capacity to learn is a gift, the ability to learn is a skill, and the willingness to learn is a choice. In the coming weeks, we want to see outstanding results from your hard work. We've done our part; make us proud."

APDC extends heartfelt gratitude to FirstBank's Managing Director and entire senior management team, branch and business development managers, Firstmonie executives in attendance, and all our creative and nutrition partners who contributed to this event's success. The team eagerly anticipates the creative contributions the new cohort will introduce to the fashion and nutrition industries.

Stay tuned for updates on the programmes' progress and impact.