By Ali Rabiu Ali Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government has intensified efforts to tackle unemployment and promote self-reliance among youths through skills acquisition programmes conducted across the state’s four zones.
The initiative, sponsored by the state’s Directorate of Economic Empowerment and Youth Employment Agency (DEEYEA), recently trained beneficiaries in tricycle (Hand pump) repairs, solar installation and maintenance, and kiosk vending in Kazure Zone.
The one-day follow-up workshop, organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), was held on June 11, 2026, after similar programmes had earlier taken place in Dutse, Hadejia and Gumel zones.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary of NASSI in Jigawa State, Danlami Haladu Shuaibu, commended Governor Umar Namadi for prioritising youth empowerment through vocational training and entrepreneurship development.
He said the government’s programmes in skills acquisition, women’s empowerment, access to loans through the Bank of Industry and other economic initiatives had significantly reduced idleness among youths while boosting the state’s economy.
“The training programmes have opened new opportunities for young people to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the development of the state,” he said.
Shuaibu also praised the Director-General of DEEYEA, Dr Habibu Ubale, for his commitment to implementing programmes aimed at creating economic opportunities for youths and small-scale entrepreneurs.
According to him, NASSI remains committed to supporting the administration’s efforts at improving the livelihoods of young people and operators of small businesses across the state.
Representing the Director-General of the agency, Deputy Director of Entrepreneurship, Aisha Abubakar, said the workshop formed part of the agency’s post-training monitoring and mentorship programme designed to ensure that beneficiaries successfully establish and sustain their businesses.
She said the agency would continue to provide guidance, advisory services and periodic refresher training to beneficiaries to enable them expand their ventures and become productive members of society.
“The governor and the management of the agency are proud of the beneficiaries and will continue to support initiatives that promote economic independence among young people,” she said.
Some of the participants who spoke at the event expressed appreciation to the state government for providing them with skills and starter packs to begin their trades.
A solar installation trainee from Yankwashi Local Government Area, Abdulmalik Idris, said the training had equipped participants with practical knowledge that would enable them earn a living while providing essential services to their communities.
Similarly, Shuaibu Yahaya Chanji from Gwiwa Local Government Area, who benefited from the tricycle repair training, said the programme had not only taught them a trade but also provided them with tools and continuous mentorship.
“This opportunity has given us a means of livelihood, reduced idleness and enabled us to support our families,” he said.
Also speaking, a kiosk vending beneficiary from Yankwashi LGA, Gambo Hussaini Usman, described the programme as a life-changing intervention, noting that it had improved participants’ understanding of business management, customer relations and capital growth.
He appealed for the continuation of similar empowerment programmes to enable more youths across the state to benefit.
The workshop is part of the Jigawa State Government’s broader strategy to promote entrepreneurship, reduce unemployment and strengthen the economic resilience of young people across the state.
