Jigawa State government has distributed grants to 1,500 youths to operate small scale businesses or trades.
At the event, Governor Umar Namadi Sa’id said the grant given to the successful candidates was a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to empowering people through their own businesses.
“As I have said, during the launch of fuel subsidy removal palliatives, we have a plan for a different empowerment package/ programme that we will keep implementing until we reduce poverty to the barest minimal level in our state. And this is one of them.
“As we distribute this package, I am also taking the opportunity to launch a website for registering our youth and the kind of jobs they want to do, this include business, trade, public service and any other legal means of livelihood.
“The data to be generated will help us in design more realistic and community driven empowerment Program for achieving better results,” the governor declared.
The commissioner for information, youth, sport and culture, Hon Sagiru Musa, said each successful candidate received N50,000.
The executive secretary of the State Economic Empowerment Agency, Dr Muhammad Ubale, said the website is designed for those with school certificate and those without any school certificate and for all kinds of jobs and trades.
According to him, 30 youths from 30 political constituencies in the state were trained to be advocates of the programme and to assist people in the registration process to ensure equal opportunity for everyone across the state irrespective of geographical location or education background.
Similarly, the chairman of the Joint Association of Persons With Disabilities in the state, Hon Adamu Jigawar Tsada, commended the state government for approving the selection of 1,000 physically-challenged persons for a special empowerment package.
