RismadarVoice Reporters
November 3, 2026
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union (EU) have supported the launch of a skills development programme targeting 3,400 young people across Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states.
The initiative, known as the Youth Employability and Skills Project (YESP), is being implemented by Yaba College of Technology in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
Speaking during the programme’s launch in Kano on Monday, the Project Coordinator, Dr Funmilayo Doherty, said the intervention would cover 30 selected local government areas across the three states.
According to her, Kano will have 1,200 beneficiaries, while Jigawa and Sokoto will each have 1,100 participants.
The project aims to equip young people with practical technical, vocational, digital, green and entrepreneurial skills to improve their employment prospects and support sustainable livelihoods.
Doherty identified solar installation and maintenance, climate-smart agriculture, agro-processing, waste recycling, computer hardware maintenance and mobile phone repairs among the proposed training areas.
She explained that the skills would be selected according to local economic opportunities and labour market demands.
The programme, supported under the EU-funded Education and Youth Empowerment Programme in Northern Nigeria, is expected to provide equal opportunities for male and female participants.
Of the targeted beneficiaries, 1,700 are expected to be female and 1,700 male.
Doherty said participants would undergo competency-based training and assessment, with successful candidates eligible for National Skills Qualification Level 2 certification and certificates from Yaba College of Technology.
She added that Community Entrepreneurship Hubs would be established to provide mentorship, business development assistance and other post-training support.
The coordinator urged employers and private organisations to provide internships, apprenticeships and employment opportunities for beneficiaries.
A UNICEF education representative, Heinrich Mutsinzi Rukundo, stressed the importance of equipping young Nigerians with skills relevant to technological advancement and changing economic conditions.
He said particular attention would be given to young women and vulnerable youths who face barriers to education and employment.
The Rector of Yaba College of Technology, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, represented by his deputy, Dr Ismael Badmus, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to expanding technical and vocational education.
He described the initiative as an opportunity to connect practical training with employment and entrepreneurship.
The programme’s induction activities, scheduled for November 2 to 6, will also prepare training providers for implementation across the participating communities.
Organisers said the project’s long-term objective was to help beneficiaries acquire marketable skills and establish sustainable sources of income.
