The Kogi state government has said not less than 2,500 unemployed youths of the state have been empowered through its Basic Skill Acquisition and Vocational Training Programme.
The empowerment programme which commenced on the 9th February, 2017 was organised in the three senatorial districts of the state, from where quotas of the participants were drawn from and trained.
Speaking at the completion of the final phase of the programme in Anyigba, Dekina local government area of the state, the Special Adviser to the Governor on job creation and SMEs Development, Abdulkareem Suleiman, attributed the success of the peogramme to the commitment of the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to raising successful entrepreneurs in the state.
According to him, the empowerment programme was designed in line with the New Direction blueprint of Kogi State Government.
He said that certified participants in the three districts of the state would be aided by the state government to start up their businesses in the respective areas they have been trained.
“Aside the knowledge acquired by the participants, Kogi State Government in partnership with Coolink Integrated Services Ltd will secure loans for all certified participants to start up their businesses.”
Onyekehi added that the skill acquisition programme would be a continous exercise as more of such programme would be unveiled in the bid to create job opportunities for the unemployed youths, promote local contents in the informal sectors and boost the economy of Kogi state.