From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
The Katsina State Government has graduated 1,662 trainees from the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV) and provided them with start-up packs to establish their own businesses.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Governor Dikko Umar Radda said the number represents a significant increase from the 648 graduates recorded at the maiden edition of the programme.
“When this administration came into office, we made a commitment under our Building Your Future Agenda to prioritise youth empowerment, skills acquisition and job creation. We promised to transform our young people from job seekers into job creators,” Radda said.
He disclosed that his administration had invested over N4 billion in renovating, upgrading and equipping the Craft Village with modern machines and tools to meet industry standards.
Radda said the graduands were trained in more than 15 trades, including tailoring, welding and fabrication, carpentry, electrical installation, information and communication technology (ICT), catering, cosmetology, plumbing and automobile repairs.
He also disclosed that a modern innovation hub and innovation desk had been established at the Craft Village to promote creativity and technological advancement.
The governor, who described vocational education as critical to addressing unemployment, announced plans to establish additional training centres across the 34 local government areas of the state.
“Our target is to train and empower more than 5,000 young people through vocational training initiatives before the end of our tenure,” he said.
Radda urged the graduands not to sell their start-up packs but to use them to establish businesses, expand their enterprises and create employment opportunities for others.
“I urge you not to sell your start-up packs. Use them to establish your businesses, grow your enterprises and create employment opportunities for others,” he told the graduands.
In his remarks, former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema said the KYCV was established during his administration to equip young people, particularly those from rural communities, with practical skills.
“The importance of technical and vocational education cannot be overemphasised. It provides young people with practical skills to become self-reliant, establish businesses and contribute meaningfully to society,” Shema said.
He said the institution had attracted trainees from across Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic, adding that he once met a KYCV graduate who had risen to become a Head of Department in the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
Earlier, the KYCV Coordinator, Kabir Abdullahi Kofar Soro, described the graduation as a milestone in youth empowerment, noting the increase in graduates from 648 to 1,662.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the direct intervention and support of His Excellency, particularly his commitment to youth development and approval for the expansion of the Katsina Youth Craft Village,” Kofar Soro said.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, commended the state government for its commitment to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
He urged other states to emulate Katsina’s model and called for the replication of vocational initiatives through community and Islamic schools.
On his part, the Commissioner for Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, Sani Muhammed JB, described the ceremony as a milestone in building a skilled and productive generation.
