The Kaduna State Government, under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani, has launched a major skills acquisition initiative aimed at empowering thousands of young people with practical, job-ready skills to promote self-employment and attract interest from tech and manufacturing companies.
At the state's quarterly ministerial briefing, Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology, Patience Fakai, revealed that three newly established Skills Acquisition Cities in Soba, Rigachikun, and Samarun Kataf will train 12,000 youths in the first year and 24,000 in the second across 13 vocational trades.
These include welding, aluminium fabrication, fashion design, and solar panel installation. Trainees will receive official certification through a partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
The government is also working to transform Kaduna's Panteka Market into an industrial hub. More than 38,000 artisans in the market will have access to National Skills Qualification Framework certification, upgraded infrastructure, ICT tools, a health clinic, and a fire station.
To support job placement, Kaduna has partnered with Jobberman and Mastercard Foundation to host Career Fairs and establish job centres across the state. These centres provide job listings, application support, and CV writing guidance to help youths secure meaningful employment.
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Additionally, over 5,100 women have been trained in digital skills through the Arewa Ladies-4-Tech initiative, in collaboration with Data Science Nigeria and Google.org. At least 60 women have secured jobs post-training. Another 500 children have been trained by UNICEF, and 22 young people in conflict with the law received vocational training in shoemaking and barbering.
Kaduna is also leading in digital innovation, having hosted the Nigeria Computer Society Summit and received the National Broadband Alliance Award of Excellence. The state now offers AI and digital literacy content in Hausa, helping bridge the digital divide.
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to boost human capital, reduce unemployment, and create an enabling environment for SMEs and young entrepreneurs to thrive across Kaduna State.
