Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced that his administration has invested more than N4 billion in upgrading the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV), as 1,662 trainees graduated with start-up packs to establish their businesses.
The graduates received their certificates on Monday at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina. Governor Radda said the number rose by 156.79 percent from the 648 recorded at the institution’s first graduation ceremony.
He said the investment covered the renovation and equipping of the centre with modern tools and machinery, adding that the initiative was aimed at reducing unemployment and helping young people become self-reliant.
The graduates received training in more than 15 trades, including tailoring, welding, carpentry, electrical installation, information technology, catering, plumbing and automobile repairs.
Governor Radda also announced plans to establish vocational training centres across the state’s 34 local government areas, with a target of training and empowering more than 5,000 young people before the end of his tenure.
He urged the graduates to use their start-up packs to establish businesses and create jobs rather than sell the equipment.
Former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema commended the state government for sustaining the craft village, which he said was established during his administration to equip young people, particularly those from rural communities, with practical skills.
Shema said the institution had attracted trainees from across Nigeria and neighboring Niger Republic. He also cited a former trainee who had risen to become a head of department in the Federal Capital Territory Administration as an example of the institution’s impact.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, also praised the state government’s investment in technical and vocational education and urged other states to adopt similar initiatives.
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