Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari says the current women and youth unemployment constitute both an obstacle and opportunity to achieve the Vision 2030 and global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mrs. Buhari stated this at the graduation of the eight edition of Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (YESAP) organised by the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) on Thursday in Kaduna.

Represented by Hajiya Binta Mu’azu, the First Lady appealed to Nigerians to give women and the youth chance to work and earn a living to enable them contribute to national development.

According to her, giving the youth and the women opportunity would strengthen families towards building stronger economy and a more stable nation.

“Supporting the youths with skills would count positively to the social-economic transformation of the nation, as it would address the poverty and youths delinquencies which have become a major challenge.

“But we believe that if we make concerted efforts to re-orientate the youth, the nation will tackle the socio-economic challenges head on,” she said.

Earlier, Governor Nasiru el-Rufai said the involvement of the nation’s youth in anti-social behaviours and bad conduct were inimical to national security.

El-Rufai, represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dr. Manzo Dan’Auta, said Kaduna State would continue to support KRPC’s resolve to support the youth in capacity building and skill acquisition.

He said the programme would assist them in bringing their voices and concerns together to reach out and influence national decision making.

El-Rufai said the initiative of the management of KRPC would address the challenges of capacity building and self development.

He said: “The KRPC management knows that the youth’s capacity building in general and skill acquisition empowerment in particular are the ways to go in addressing the menace of unemployment and its attendant vices.

“We are delighted by the KRPC’s leadership and its quick sense of commitment. YESAP has made a difference in Kaduna State. I understand that 895 youths have so far passed through the programme; and l hope other organisations will emulate KRPC to offer similar trainings to increase employment opportunities to our teaming youths.

“Good people of Kaduna State stand behind KRPC’s efforts to increase the youth’s capacity to represent and advocate for themselves and to assist them in bringing their voices and concern together to reach and influence local and national decision making.

“I call on the graduates of the programme to take full advantage of this opportunity to change their social and economic status and not wait for white collar jobs; and be job providers themselves.

“I admonish you to be in the vanguard of good governance by assisting to sustain our democracy and to shun all negative vices such as thuggery, cultism, violence and any form of criminal activities such as drug abuse.”

Earlier, Idi Mukhtar, Managing Director, KRPC, said it was the company’s resolve to ensure that youth unemployment with its attendant negative impact on peace, security, economic and social activities was reduced significantly, especially within its host communities.

Mukhtar said the objective of the programme initiated in 2008 was to reduce the joblessness and develop the youth who would create employment opportunities for others.

He said the programme, which had so far empowered 895 including those just graduating was aimed at ensuring youth self reliance.

Mukhtar said the KRPC, through YESAP had demonstrated its determination to empower youths of the society without bias to their ethnic, religious or social status to enable them contribute to the development of Kaduna State and the nation at large.

The KRPC boss urged the graduands to make the most of the rare opportunity and justify the huge resources invested in them and also be conscious of the confidence response in them by various communities and the state.

In their appreciation, the graduands through their ‘Governor’, Hajiya Basira Yusuf Aliyu, assured that they would make good use of the opportunity to improve the standard of their living and that of their families, communities, Kaduna State and Nigeria.

According to them, the KRPC had reshaped their mindsets toward religious tolerance, moral ethnic and values as well as character moulding for a better society.

They appealed to stakeholders to ensure the YESAP programme was sustained to address the high rate of unemployment, crime, idleness and youth restiveness.

KRPC had so far graduated 900 (including the 100 graduands of the 8th edition) who graduated in various skills including fashion and textile design, carpentry, poultry and fish production, auto mechanic, screen printing, tiles and interlocking among others.

•Photo by Garba Ahmed shows graduands at the 8th KRPC YESAP graduation ceremony . . . Thursday in Kaduna.

Update news