Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to creating opportunities that empower Nigerian youths through skills acquisition and capacity development programmes.
Shettima made the declaration during the unveiling of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Community Empowerment Initiative in Science, Technology, Skills Acquisition, and Renewable Energy for youths and women in Kano State.
Represented by his Personal Assistant on Sub-national Infrastructure, Musaddiq Adamu, the Vice President said the initiative was designed to provide practical skills that would enable young Nigerians to become productive contributors to the economy.
According to him, the programme aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places strong emphasis on youth empowerment, innovation, and economic growth. He added that the initiative would eventually be extended to all six geopolitical zones of the country.
Adamu noted that Nigerian youths are already playing important roles in national development but require the right opportunities and platforms to fully realise their potential.
He described the programme as a strategic investment in young people and encouraged beneficiaries to make the most of the training by applying the knowledge gained to establish businesses and create employment opportunities.
The Vice President’s representative also commended NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman, Khalil Halilu, for driving practical interventions that promote technological advancement and human capital development.
Earlier, Halilu explained that the programme was aimed at equipping youths and women with marketable skills capable of generating employment and strengthening local economies.
He stressed that NASENI’s mission goes beyond technological development to building the human capacity needed to create, improve, and commercialise innovations.
“Real industrialisation begins with skilled people. That is why we do more than build technology; we build the people who will create it, use it, improve it, and commercialise it,” he said.
Halilu further stated that Kano was selected for the programme because of its long-standing reputation as a hub for commerce, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. He disclosed that participants would receive training in renewable energy, welding and fabrication, mobile phone hardware repairs, food processing, packaging, and other vocational fields.
Also speaking at the event, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented by an official, described the initiative as part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to promote skills acquisition and tackle unemployment.
He urged beneficiaries to take full advantage of the opportunity, noting that emerging technologies remain vital to Nigeria’s industrialisation and long-term economic growth.
FG Committed to Creating Opportunities for Youth Empowerment, Says Shettima
