The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union (EU) have commenced a skills training programme for 3,400 youths across Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states to improve their employability, entrepreneurship and access to sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative, known as the Youth Employability and Skills Project, is being implemented by Yaba College of Technology in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). The Project Coordinator, Dr Funmilayo Doherty, disclosed this on Monday during the launch and induction training in Kano.
According to Doherty, the programme will cover 30 selected local government areas, with 1,200 beneficiaries from Kano and 1,100 each from Jigawa and Sokoto. She said participants would receive training in digital, green, technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
She also called on employers and industry leaders to provide internship, apprenticeship, mentorship and employment opportunities for the beneficiaries, stressing that such support would help them translate their training into sustainable livelihoods.
Doherty added that special attention would be given to young women and vulnerable youths to ensure they also benefit from the opportunities.
The UNICEF Representative at its Kano Field Office, Shafeeq Ur Rehman, described the partnership as a commitment to investing in young people as drivers of economic growth and sustainable development.
Meanwhile, the Rector of Yaba College of Technology, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, said the institution was targeting 18,000 young people for various skills acquisition programmes as part of its efforts to promote technical education and economic empowerment.
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