As the first term entered its final months in early 2023, the Ministry of Investment, Trade, Cooperatives, and Industry formally operationalized the scheme by training over 400 graduate applicants. 

 

This intensive Entrepreneurial Development Programme (EDP), held in January 2023, focused on practical skills such as feasibility study writing, business management, and industrial identification. 

 

Following the training, the government approved a revolving soft loan of N500,000 for qualified applicants, ensuring that the participants had the financial backing to put their new skills into practice before the May transition.

 

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In the initial years (2019–2020), the administration’s focus was primarily on clearing backlogs of pension payments and stabilizing the general workforce. While the "Roadmap for Accelerated Development" listed the graduate scheme as a priority, actual implementation was deferred in favor of broader MSME stimulus packages launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

It was not until the final fiscal year of the mandate that the specific "GISES" machinery was fully oiled and triggered, allowing the administration to fulfill the promise of a dedicated graduate employment vehicle just as the first term concluded.