Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello has identified vocational education and training as veritable tools for youth empowerment and national economic development.

He said this on Saturday in Kontagora during the 6th graduation ceremony of 115 youths trained in various skills and vocations by Sani Bello Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.

The Governor noted that the increasing number of graduates produced every year by the nation’s universities and their inability to be gainfully employed has further enforced the need for vocational training and education.

According to him, “the situation now calls for urgent attention. From every 250,000 Corp members that complete their mandatory service year, hardly do we have 50 of them getting jobs, thereby making vocational education and skill acquisition the way to empower our teeming youth.

“The high rate of unemployment of our youth after university education would have been taken care of if our youths strive to acquire and develop skills in various vocations, thereby getting themselves gainfully engaged and becoming masters of their future.

“It is in the light of this that our administration is reviving the technical and vocational education by renovating three technical colleges in the state. Our consultant is almost through with the template so that our youths are equipped for their future rather than waiting endlessly for the jobs that are not available.”

Sani-Bello, who commended the foundation for empowering over 1,000 youths so far in various vocations, described the efforts of the non-profit making foundation as complementary of government’s youth empowerment programmes.

He then called on well-meaning Nigerians to join the good gesture of the foundation in helping to develop and empower our youth.

The Vice Chairman of the foundation, Alhaji Usman Sani Bello said that the need to ensure a secured future for the younger generations has been the driving force propelling the foundation.

He noted that the need to give back to the society was equally responsible for establishing the foundation by Colonel Sani Bello (rtd).

Earlier, the director general of the foundation, Mr. Zakari Ikani has said that over 800 youths have benefited from the nine-month skill acquisition training of the foundation.

Sani Bello Foundation was established by the retired Colonel, who was military governor of Kano State. It is a platform for addressing societal inequalities.

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