The National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA, has flagged off the nationwide Renewed Hope vocational and skills training programme in Kano state.
BizPoint reports that the programme is designed to equip Nigerians with practical vocational competencies, promote entrepreneurship, enhance employability, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities through skills acquisition across 15 vocational trades, such as Automobile, Baking & Confectionery, Agric-Tech, Cooks snd Catering, Electrical Installation and Housekeeping
Others include, Carpentry, Jewelry and Bead, Making, Masonry, Sewing and Fashion Design, Plumbing, Grinding Technology, Welding and Fabrication and Vulcanizing.
In Kano, the programme was launched at 6 centres across the state, including Government Technical College (GTC), Kano Municipal, GTC Kwakwaci, Fagge LGA, GTC Tiga, Bebeji LGA, GTC Danbatta, GTC Bagauda, Bebeji LGA and GTC Gani, Sumaila Local Government area.
Speaking at the flag off ceremony at the GTC Kwakwaci in Fagge Local Government area on Monday, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIPA, Assoc. Professor Badamasi Lawan said 700 youths would participate in the first phase of the training.
Represented by Musbahu Yunusa Makama, the Coordinator said the training, beginning from Monday and ending on Friday, would equip the beneficiaries more as they would be taught about the nitty gritty of the trades they have applied for.
He explained that the training is designed into theory and practical parts to help the participants, drawn from different Local Government areas.of Kano Central zone, understand more.
He disclosed that at the end of the training, the participants would be given a token and take off grant, as well as some items for their chosen trades.
According to the coordinator, the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering youths to become self reliant.
Speaking to journalists, the Fagge Centre head, Inusa Isyaku, said 145 participants have been registered at the centre to undergo the training in 7 trades in electrical installations, catering and cooking, auto mechanic, house making, plumbing among others.
According to Isyaku, the participants are going to be grouped based on their chosen trades, adding that the training would be based on the aforementioned trades.
“We have 145 participants in this Centre in seven various trades. This programme is very important as it would improve the welfare of Nigerians,” he said.
At the Government Technical College centre, the head, Garzali Abdullahi Gwanda explained that at the end of the training, the participants are expected to learn practical skills on the various trades and make them self reliant.
According to Gwanda, the initiative is timely and would help the government reduce the burden of provision of employment by making the youths to be self reliant.
“We really commend the President of Nigeria for this initiative which will go a long way in making the youth be productive and self reliant,” he said.
One of the participants, Aliyu Sani Mustapha, who applied for plumbing, said he would concentrate to learn both theoretical and practical aspects of the training.
He said he decided to apply in order to learn the skills and practice it as a means of livelihood.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for the initiative and promise to judiciously utilize the skills and tools gotten from the training.
Another participant, Fatima Zakari Muhammad Sa’id; “So I would like to talk about the empowerment. So in this process there will be a benefit in it.
“People will experience some knowledge and many people will experience some knowledge and understand many things like you will be able to sew your clothes.
“You will be able to sew everything you want. With this business people can handle whatever they want in any situation like you want to buy some things. When you have your business sometimes you will not even ask your husband to give you money, she said.
She too praised the federal government for the initiative.
