The Director-General of the National Productivity Centre (NPC), Hon. Dr. Baffa Babba Dan’agundi, nim, has initiated and fully sponsored a comprehensive youth empowerment programme aimed at equipping young people with vocational skills and sustainable means of livelihood.
The initiative, organised in collaboration with the Kofar Dan’agundi Gyara Kayanka Association, is designed to address unemployment, discourage idleness and promote self-reliance among youths through practical skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development.
The programme will provide training in 17 different vocational and business areas, including aluminium fabrication, tailoring, welding, carpentry, vulcanising, charcoal production, boutique management, groundnut and palm oil trading, soft drinks distribution, engine oil business, block and interlocking stone production, gas and meat businesses, poultry farming, grinding mill operations, plastics trading, solar and electrical installation, and automobile mechanics. Participants are expected to undergo training for a period of three to six months, depending on their chosen fields, with transportation and feeding allowances provided throughout the training period.
Upon successful completion of the training, beneficiaries will be provided with business locations and the necessary equipment to enable them to establish their respective businesses and become economically independent.
The initiative is expected to cost over ₦37 million, an amount already released by Dr. Baffa Babba Dan’agundi to ensure the successful implementation of the programme and provide beneficiaries with the necessary support to translate their acquired skills into sustainable businesses.
The programme attracted prominent personalities and stakeholders, including Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, Chairman of the Kano State Special Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Sheikh Malam Ibrahim Khalil, representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as Islamic clerics, community leaders, parents and other stakeholders from Dan’agundi.
The initiative represents a significant investment in human capital development, with the potential to reduce unemployment, discourage social vices, strengthen entrepreneurship and contribute to economic growth at the grassroots level.