The British Council, in collaboration with King’s Trust International, the Jigawa State Government, and the Centre for Information Technology and Development, has awarded seed grants worth two million naira to eight young entrepreneurs in Jigawa State.
The beneficiaries emerged after completing an intensive eight-week training under the Youth Connect Programme, which focused on entrepreneurship, business management, digital skills, and innovation. Out of 80 participants who underwent the training, eight were selected through a competitive process and received financial support to grow their businesses.
A statement signed by the Programme Manager Non-formal Education, British Council, Dr Yahaya Janga, and made available to TVC on Friday, confirmed the announcement.
The statement said, “The programme was organised by the British Council in partnership with King’s Trust International, the Jigawa State Government, and the Centre for Information Technology and Development, and trained 80 young people in areas such as digital skills, ICT, entrepreneurship, marketing, and soft skills.
“After an intensive eight-week training, participants pitched their ideas, with eight winners securing seed grants to kick-start their businesses.”
The Youth Connect Programme is part of efforts to tackle unemployment in Nigeria by equipping young people with practical knowledge, startup support, and access to funding. The British Council stressed that the initiative will help reduce joblessness and promote business development across communities.
Dr Yahaya Janga encouraged the awardees to put the grant to effective use, noting that the goal is to support the creation of enterprises that generate employment opportunities. He said the programme is designed to reduce dependence on government jobs by encouraging private sector-driven growth.
The Executive Director of CITAD, Professor Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, represented by Malam Isa Garba, explained that the project aims to close the skills gap by equipping young people with market-driven competencies.
He emphasized that the winners were chosen through a transparent and competitive selection process to ensure that only the most promising business ideas were supported.
