Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced a personal grant of ₦50,000 for each of the 250 beneficiaries of the Andaje Building Your Future Skills and Empowerment Initiative after they completed a 30-day skills acquisition programme in Malumfashi.
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Radda announced the grant on Wednesday during the closing ceremony of the programme, which trained young men and women in practical, income-generating trades including aluminium fabrication, welding and fabrication, and GSM repairs.
The governor also announced a motorcycle each for the best-performing male and female graduates as additional rewards for outstanding performance and commitment during the training.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the skills and financial support productively to establish sustainable livelihoods and become self-reliant.
Radda said the initiative was consistent with his administration’s Building Your Future Agenda, particularly its focus on human capital development, youth empowerment, skills acquisition and sustainable economic opportunities.
Earlier, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir, said the initiative was designed to equip young people with practical skills capable of supporting economic self-reliance. He disclosed that beneficiaries recorded about 90 per cent attendance throughout the training.
Nasir said the initiative was informed by his experience with similar empowerment interventions and was designed to extend opportunities to young people across communities. He also announced plans for a monitoring committee to follow up on beneficiaries and assess their progress.
He appealed for support for people who were not initially shortlisted but completed the training, particularly through starter packs that would help them begin using their skills.
The Executive Director of Temchiz Nigeria Limited, Mr Auwalu Bala, said the 30-day programme trained 250 young people in practical trades. He said the selected skills were chosen for their potential to provide immediate income and promote self-reliance.
Bala said the beneficiaries would also receive starter packs and urged government agencies, businesses, contractors and community leaders to patronise the graduates. He described the programme as Phase One and said organisers planned to expand the Andaje initiative to all 34 Local Government Areas of Katsina State.
He added that skills development could support peacebuilding and social stability by creating productive opportunities for young people.
The Director-General of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), Dr Babangida Kabir Ruma, said the agency remained committed to supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the state.
Ruma urged the graduates to take advantage of government interventions and business opportunities to establish and expand their enterprises. He also announced a ₦100,000 support grant for each of the 250 graduates to help them commence or strengthen their businesses.
The District Head of Malumfashi, Justice Sadiq Abdullahi Mahuta, commended the governor and urged the graduates to make productive use of the skills, financial assistance and other opportunities provided.
The programme brought together government officials, traditional and religious leaders, community representatives and other stakeholders, while organisers expressed commitment to expanding the initiative and supporting more young people across Katsina State in the future too.
