Katsina govt says it invested over ₦4bn in youth craft village as 1,662 trainees graduate

Graduation ceremony and distribution of start-up equipment.

The Katsina State Government says it has invested more than ₦4 billion to renovate and equip its Youth Craft Village, where 1,662 trainees graduated on Monday.

However, the government did not provide a breakdown of the expenditure in its announcement.

Governor Dikko Radda disclosed the investment at the institution’s second graduation ceremony at Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina, where the graduates received start-up equipment to establish businesses.

The number of graduates rose from 648 at the maiden ceremony to 1,662, an increase of about 156 per cent. However, the government did not indicate how many of the previous graduates had established businesses or were still practising their trades.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, Mr Radda said the investment covered renovations, facility upgrades and the purchase of modern machines and tools.

The statement did not specify the period covered by the expenditure, the amounts spent on individual projects or the value of the equipment distributed to the graduates.

Mr Radda said the beneficiaries were trained in more than 15 trades, including tailoring, welding and fabrication, carpentry, electrical installation, information and communication technology, catering, cosmetology, plumbing and automobile repairs.

“We do not believe in simply issuing certificates and sending our graduates home without the means to put their training into practice. That is why we are providing them with start-up tools and equipment to enable them to establish their businesses,” he said.

The governor urged the graduates not to sell the equipment, saying they should use it to start businesses and employ others.

He also announced plans to establish additional vocational training centres across the state’s 34 local government areas to train more than 5,000 young people before the end of his administration.

Mr Radda said the government has established an innovation hub and an innovation desk at the craft village.

He further disclosed that the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency had supported more than 60,000 beneficiaries through various enterprise development programmes, although the statement did not specify the period covered or provide details of the assistance.

Former Governor Ibrahim Shema, who established the Katsina Youth Craft Village during his administration, said the institution was originally intended to equip young people, particularly those from rural communities, with practical skills.

He said the village had attracted trainees from other parts of Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic.

Mr Shema also recalled meeting a former trainee who became a head of department in the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

The institution’s coordinator, Kabir Soro, attributed the increase in graduate numbers to the state government’s expansion of the facility.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Idris Bugaje, urged other states to establish similar vocational training programmes, including through community and Islamic schools.