BY: FAIZA JIBRIN, OCTOBER 25, 2024 / 01:43AM
The Borno State Government has launched an expanded skills acquisition program to equip youth and volunteer security personnel in liberated areas with essential trades.
This initiative marks a significant step in the state's post-insurgency recovery efforts, aiming to rebuild communities by providing unemployed youth and volunteers with marketable skills.
Professor Usman Tar, commissioner for information and internal security, announced the initiative during the launch of the program at MOCOLIS on Thursday.
According Prof. Tar, the skills acquisition centers, now operational in all liberated local government areas, offer training tailored to the needs of the local economy.
He also recommended extending the training period to enable participants to gain a deeper mastery of their chosen skills.
The government has called on international partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to support this initiative by providing resources and expertise.
Participants are encouraged to form cooperative societies, which will allow them to access small and medium-scale entrepreneurship loans through the ministry of poverty alleviation and youth empowerment.
The commissioner urged trainees to fully utilize the tools and knowledge provided, cautioning against the sale or misuse of start-up equipment.
He assured that the government would monitor the progress of the trainees to ensure sustainable growth and long-term success.
The initiative is part of Borno State's broader efforts to empower its residents and restore stability in the aftermath of years of insurgency.