Radda Invests Over N4bn In Craft Village, Empowers 1,662 Graduates

Katsina State governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has disclosed that his administration has invested over N4 billion in the renovation, modernisation and equipping of the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV) as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment, poverty and insecurity through skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.

The governor made the disclosure during the second graduation ceremony of the institution, where 1,662 youths trained in more than 15 vocational trades received certificates and start-up equipment to enable them to establish their own businesses.

Radda said the investment covered the comprehensive upgrading of the centre and provision of modern machines, tools and equipment designed to meet contemporary industry standards and the demands of the modern workforce.

He explained that the state government had also established a modern innovation hub and an office dedicated to innovation at the centre to encourage technological advancement, creativity and the development of practical solutions capable of stimulating economic growth.

According to him, the graduation of 1,662 youths, compared with 648 beneficiaries during the previous exercise, represents a 156.79 per cent increase in the number of graduates empowered by the programme.

“Today, barely a year later, we are here to graduate over 1,662 youths with start-up packs. This represents a 156.79 per cent increase in our youth empowerment drive. This is unprecedented, and it shows that our agenda is working,” the governor declared.

He explained that the beneficiaries underwent rigorous training in various trades, including tailoring, welding, fabrication, carpentry, electrical installation, information and communication technology, computer repairs, catering, cosmetology, plumbing and automobile repairs.

Radda maintained that his administration was determined to move beyond the traditional practice of issuing certificates without providing beneficiaries with the necessary tools to become economically independent.

“We will not just give them certificates and send them away. We are empowering each and every one of them with start-up tools and equipment worth millions of naira to enable them to start their own businesses immediately.

“We are giving them the hook and the net, not just the fish. This is how we build an economy. This is how we fight unemployment and insecurity,” he said.

The governor stressed that providing young people with productive skills remained one of the most effective strategies for reducing unemployment and addressing the socioeconomic conditions that could expose them to criminal activities.

“An idle youth is a danger to society, but a skilled youth is an asset to the nation and an asset to society,” he stated.

Addressing the graduating students, Radda warned them against selling the start-up equipment provided by the government, describing the tools as the foundation of their future economic independence.

“I urge you in the name of Allah, do not sell your start-up packs. I repeat, do not sell your start-up packs. The sewing machines, the welding machines and the laptops represent your future. They are your factories.

“Use them well, grow your businesses, and tomorrow you will employ others. Be good ambassadors of the Katsina Youth Craft Village and Katsina State. Be honest in your businesses and be innovative,” he advised.

The governor further announced that his administration was targeting the training and empowerment of over 5,000 youths across craft villages in the state before the expiration of its first tenure.

He also pledged to establish vocational training centres across the 34 local government areas to expand access to practical skills, particularly among rural youths.

“We will make sure that we establish these centres in all the local governments in the state, and we will do it very soon. We have no time to waste. We will expand KYCV, build more centres and continue to support our young people,” he assured.

Radda commended the coordinator of the institution, Engineer Kabir Abdullahi, the Ministry of Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, the governing board, instructors and management for their commitment to implementing the administration’s youth empowerment agenda.

Earlier, the coordinator of the Katsina Youth Craft Village,  Abdullahi Kofar Sauro,  described the graduation as a major milestone in the state government’s efforts to transform unemployed youths into entrepreneurs and employers of labour.

He said the increase from 648 graduates during the first exercise to 1,662 beneficiaries demonstrated the impact of the governor’s sustained investment in technical and vocational education.

According to him, the graduates were leaving the institution not merely with certificates but with practical skills and equipment to establish businesses and contribute meaningfully to the state’s economy.

“They came as job seekers, but today they are leaving as job creators. They are equipped not only with certificates but with start-up packs to begin their enterprises immediately,” he said.

He urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of their equipment rather than dispose of them for immediate financial gains.

Also speaking, the Commissioner,  Ministry of Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, Ahmed  Aliyu,  said the Radda administration had repositioned vocational education as a major instrument for youth empowerment, enterprise development and economic growth.

The Commissioner maintained that technical education should no longer be regarded as an inferior alternative to conventional academic qualifications, stressing that practical competence, innovation and adaptability were becoming increasingly important in the changing global economy.

“Technical and vocational education must no longer be viewed as a second option. It is a pathway to dignity, productivity, innovation and economic independence,” the official said.

The ministry further emphasised that the success of vocational training programmes should be measured not only by the number of graduates produced but also by the businesses established, employment opportunities generated and communities transformed.

In his remarks, a former governor of the State, Bar Ibrahim Shema, who reflected on the establishment of the Craft Village about 17 years ago, commended Governor Radda for sustaining and expanding the initiative.

He recalled that the institution was originally conceived to provide opportunities for young people, particularly those from rural communities and disadvantaged backgrounds, to acquire practical skills and become economically self-reliant.

According to him, the centre had attracted trainees from different parts of Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic, while institutions and international development organisations had shown interest in its vocational training model.

He recalled that the then Governor of Borno State and current Vice President, Kashim Shettima, had also sponsored students to acquire skills at the institution.

The former governor noted that some graduates of the centre had progressed to occupy important professional positions, while others had established businesses in different communities.

He cited the example of a former trainee who reportedly rose to become head of a mechanical department in the Federal Capital Development Authority, Abuja.

He also observed that small businesses in communities such as Kankia and Charanchi reflected the potential of vocational training to stimulate economic activities beyond the state capital.

Commending the provision of start-up equipment to the graduates, he warned that selling the tools would undermine the purpose of the empowerment programme.

“If you sell them, you are actually selling your future. Use them as best as you can so that tomorrow we can see you building businesses, enterprises and companies that will serve the people of Katsina State and Nigeria,” he advised.

The ceremony, attended by over 4,000 people, featured the formal graduation of the 1,662 beneficiaries and the commencement of the distribution of start-up equipment.