FROM THE FOUNDERS' DESK
MR. OSAZE ELIJAH - FOUNDER
My name is Mr Osaze Elijah. I have been privileged to mentor youths in various facets of life and my observations have been these; many young boys and girls, particularly those from low-income households, have lost hope of actualisation of their dreams of becoming responsible employed citizens that are able to adequately provide for their families and also mentor others that would look up to them in the society. Unfortunately, frustration has pushed some of them into crime. But I believe this narrative can be changed if these youths are given the opportunity to get top-notch vocational training on full scholarship.
This belief is the fulcrum of our TVET Institute, The Cross Vocational Institute, located here in our beloved country, Nigeria. We intend to train young Nigerians to turn raw talent and passion into dignified work and real income, who will provide for their families, pay their rents and ultimately build their houses, pay their taxes and also employ and empower others. Exceptional excellent students who graduate top of their classes will be given the option of employment as Lecturers in The Cross Vocational Institute by the school management.
Across our communities, I come across youths of both genders who can wire a room, design dresses, barb hair, weave hair, fix generator, motorcycle and car engines, design and produce miniature cars, solar lanterns, toys, etc. Yet, and unfortunately, they are locked out of opportunity by the cost of training, work tools and certification. Hopefully, that ends here at The Cross Vocational Institute, where we offer full scholarships for Entry Level 2 Diploma and Level 3 Advanced Diploma for indigent students, so that innate ability, not circumstances of birth, will determine the future.
What We Stand For:
Skills that Pay: We teach market-ready competencies in multifarious vocational qualifications.
Standards that Travel: Our curriculum is based on the IVQ curriculum of City and Guilds of London Institute, UK, and aligns with NBTE standards for TVET Schools in Nigeria. Our graduates can thus work confidently and competently at home and abroad.
Dignity in Every Trade: We celebrate excellent competency in vocational training as a pathway to entrepreneurship, community impact and leadership.
The Scholarship Promise:
Too many gifted Nigerians never achieve their dreams because the starting line is way too expensive. Our full scholarship thus covers the following:
Tuition and Registration for Entry Level 2 Diploma and Level 3 Advanced Diploma programmes
Free Accommodation
Free Feeding
Enrollment for City and Guilds of London Institute, UK IVQ examinations
Industry Attachments (Internships)
Mentorship and Career Services including entrepreneurship coaching and job placement
Starter kits and tools
We prioritise applicants from low-income households, orphans and vulnerable youths, and young women entering male-dominated vocations. No student will be turned away because of inability to pay.
How We Train:
Learn-by-doing: 50% hands-on, 50% theory. Every class ends with a product, a fix, or a prototype. Theory in the classrooms will be adequately put into practice in the workshops, and this will ultimately drive R & D in various vocations.
Real Workshops, Real Jobs: Students work on live community projects, such as cold-chain repairs for markets, solar installations for community clinics, safe rewiring of public schools, town halls, etc, thus building portfolios before graduation.
Industry Mentors: Practicing Technicians and Engineers, Hospitality and Catering professionals, Oil and gas professionals, Beauty Therapists, and Entrepreneurs teach alongside our Trainers/Assessors, keeping skills current and expectations clear.
Soft Skills that Matter: Health and Safety, Quality Control, Customer Service, Digital Literacy, TeamWork and Basic Book-keeping are incorporated into every module.
The Outcome We are Building:
In year one, our target is simple and measurable:
80%+ job or enterprise placement within six months of graduation.
At least 40% women enrollment across all programmes.
Community service projects completed in host LGA.
But beyond numbers, we are building confidence: young people who will stand tall, name their rates, keep their promises and come home with clean invoices, instead of empty pockets and bank accounts.
A Personal Pledge:
As founder, I will teach, not only lead. I will make sure I am physically present in workshops weekly, review safety logs, inspect training equipment in workshops, audit the safety and sanitary conditions of the students hostels and cafeteria, and sign off on every community project we commit to. I will publish our outcomes transparently: the students we trained, the jobs created, the businesses launched and the lessons learned.
An Open Invitation:
If you are a young person who has been told “wait your turn” by the leaders, I am telling you, “your turn is now”. When we take off, please apply. Bring your curiosity, your grit, your passion and your dreams.
If you are an employer, mentor or artisan, open your doors to our trainees and help shape the workforce you have always prayed for and wish you had.
If you are a partner or donor, please join us in making this great vision a reality, because the money you invest will translate into jobs, financially stable homes, repaired machines, well fed children, reduction of youth restiveness, etc.
Nigeria’s greatest resource is not beneath the earth; it’s in our hands, heads and hearts. With the right training and opportunity gifted our talented teeming young people, our youths won’t just join the bandwagon to job hunt, they will define it. With skilled hands, Nigeria’s future is strong and viable.
MRS. HAIL ELIJAH - CO-FOUNDER
My name is Mrs Hail Elijah. As co-founder of The Cross Vocational Institute, with my beloved husband, I carry a deep conviction that every young person, both male and female, deserves the dignity of a skill, no matter the family they were born into. As a young girl, I also nurtured the dream of becoming a certified beauty therapist and thanks to God, today I am an Assessor/Beauty lecturer and a certified Consultant Beauty Therapist.
Often times, I have watched bright, determined youths, especially girls, drop out of school because of poverty, early responsibilities or the pressure to marry young. I have also seen boys forced into menial jobs, not because they lacked potential, but because opportunities were locked behind tuition fees their indigent families could never afford. It is these sons and daughters of Nigeria that inspire the vision behind The Cross Vocational Institute.
Why We Exist:
We are building a vocational school where indigent students, those who oftentimes are roadside unskilled beauticians, unskilled tailors, unskilled technicians, etc, will be gifted top-notch vocational training. A place where the same young woman told she “cannot” countless times, becomes the first female solar technician in her community. A place where a young man who once struggled to buy textbooks, becomes an entrepreneur employing others.
This is why we are offering full scholarships for Entry Level 2 Diploma and Level 3 Advanced Diploma students from low-income households. Our scholarship does not only cover tuition; it ensures that accommodation, feeding, training kits, PPE, and certification fees for both Nigerian and City and Guilds of London Institute, UK vocational qualifications are not barriers to fulfilment of dreams.
What We Stand For:
Inclusion: We are intentional about reaching girls, single mothers, orphans and vulnerable youths.
Excellence: Training is practical, aligned with national and international standards and led by industry leaders and practitioners.
Empowerment: Beyond technical skills, we nurture confidence, financial literacy, digital skills and entrepreneurial spirit.
Family Values: As a woman who understands the weight of household responsibilities, I want our graduates to leave not just with certificates, but with ability to support families and lift communities.
Our Commitment:
Every student who walks through our gates will not be seen as a “charity case”, but as a “nation builder in training”. Every scholarship is an investment in a future father, mother, leader or innovator, who will multiply the opportunity they were gifted.
My Pledge:
As co-founder, I will be more than an administrator. I will be present in the classrooms, during mentorship sessions, and in conversations with young women who need encouragement to keep pushing when push comes to shove. I will share my journey of balancing marriage, motherhood and leadership, so they see that their gender or circumstance is not a limitation.
An Invitation:
To the young person who has talent but no means, I say, this door is open for you.
To the parents and guardians who worry about their children’s future, rest assured that we will help them build skills that pay and careers that last.
To partners and allies, your support will transform lives. Each scholarship you back is not just funding training; it is breaking cycles of poverty and rewriting family histories.
We are not simply training vocationists; we are shaping futures, strengthening families and rebuilding Nigeria from the inside out.
With skilled hands and hopeful hearts, we will create a country where no child’s dream is cut short because of poverty.