Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, has stressed that for Nigeria to fast-track its economic development, it is necessary to engage its teeming population, especially the able-bodied youths, in gainful economic activities.
The Governor, speaking at the graduation of 225 youths trained by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in different skills acquisition, said that this entails supporting and encouraging the citizenry to be self-reliant through engagement in various entrepreneurial activities.
Represented by the Head of Civil Service of the State, Yahuza Adamu Ningi, Bala Mohammed said, “Gone are the days when the government is looked upon as the major employer of labour. What the government should be doing is to provide the enabling environment and capacity for the people to succeed in their various economic endeavours.”
He commended and appreciated the Industrial Training Fund for living up to its responsibility of imparting knowledge and skills needed to develop micro, small, and medium enterprises.
The Governor said that as a subnational government, the Bauchi State Government has embarked on programs aimed at empowering citizens of the State. Consequently, three agencies, namely the Bauchi State Commission for Youth and Women Rehabilitation and Development (BACYWORD), the Social Investment Programme (SIP), and the Ministry of Cooperative, Small and Medium Enterprises, have been responsible for realizing this noble objective.
According to him, the Bauchi State Commission for Youth and Women Rehabilitation and Development has carried out activities from the inception of his Administration in 2019, including training 100 youths and women on tailoring and design across the Three Senatorial districts.
The Commission has collaborated with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to train youth and women in tailoring, poultry, fishery, crop production, catering, and Event Management. Under the Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES), the Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW) programs were put in place for the purposes of setting up and strengthening a system of identifying the poor and vulnerable families, monitoring their progress in terms of welfare, and coordinating various activities aimed at engaging unemployed youth and providing them with social services in healthcare delivery and education.
It was also to assist other agencies that are involved in providing job opportunities to unemployed youth from poor and vulnerable households, while a total of 11,854 youths and women have been trained in carpentry, welding, computer, knitting, hairdressing, and GSM repairs.
Furthermore, a total of 1,500 youths have been engaged as patrolmen of Spider Webs and Zabgai security outfits under a public-private partnership arrangement.
The Governor added that as a deliberate effort to holistically address the problems of unemployment and poverty in the State, the Bauchi State Government introduced the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (KEEP). Under this program, buses and tricycles were given out as revolving loans at subsidized prices.
The following packages were also distributed under the program: provision of Starter packs and ₦50,000.00 cash for 500 persons per Local Government, as well as the provision of three motorcycles in each of the wards of the 20 Local Governments.
Bala Mohammed said that the program has positively impacted on the lives of the people of the State, as clearly shown in the booming economic activities across the State.
“I would like to assure the good people of Bauchi State that our administration will continue to do everything possible within available resources to uplift their socio-economic well-being. I want to call on the Industrial Training Fund to continue collaborating with our Government towards realizing this noble objective,” the Governor added.
Bala Mohammed then appealed to participants in the program to put what they have learned to their benefit and that of their own communities, stressing that they should also impart the skills they have acquired to those who have not been privileged to attend the program.
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