UNICEF, EU, YABATECH launch skills training for 3,400 youths in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto
- YABATECH, ITF, UNICEF and the EU have launched a skills project for 3,400 young people in Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto.
- Kano gets 1,200 beneficiaries, while Jigawa and Sokoto get 1,100 each, split evenly between males and females.
- Training covers solar installation, poultry, agro-processing, recycling, GSM repair and other practical trades.
About 3,400 young people in Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states are to be trained in practical trades under a new programme launched in Kano on Monday.
The Youth Employability and Skills Project (YESP) is run by Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union.
It targets adolescents and young people across 30 local government areas — 10 in each state. Kano will take 1,200 trainees, while Jigawa and Sokoto get 1,100 each, according to the project coordinator, Dr Funmilayo Doherty.
The beneficiaries are split evenly: 1,700 young women and 1,700 young men.
What they will learn
The training covers solar panel installation and maintenance, climate-smart poultry and small livestock farming, agro-processing and solar drying, tree production, briquette and clean-energy production, waste recycling, climate-smart irrigation, compost production, computer hardware maintenance and computer and phone repairs.
Organisers say the skills were chosen to match what local markets actually need. Doherty said communities will not have trades forced on them, and that a validation exercise with stakeholders will align training with local demand.
“Our question should be practical: After completing the training, how will a young person use this skill to earn a sustainable livelihood?”
Training will follow the National Occupational Standards and the National Skills Qualification Framework. Trainees will receive NSQ Level 2 certification and YABATECH completion certificates.
Community Entrepreneurship Hubs will also be set up in the three states to mentor beneficiaries after training and help them start businesses.
Why it matters
Youth unemployment is one of Nigeria's biggest challenges, and the north-west carries a large share of it. A trainee who leaves with a trade — phone repair, solar installation, poultry — has a route to income without waiting for a salaried job.
UNICEF's education specialist at its Kano field office, Heinrich Rukundo, said Nigeria's greatest asset is its young population, but that turning that into economic gain requires skills that match the labour market as technology and climate change reshape industries.
The YABATECH Rector, Ibraheem Abdul, who was represented by Deputy Rector Ismail Badmus, described the project as a response to the need for market-relevant skills. He said the college is already training about 18,000 young people nationwide at its Epe, Ikeja and Yaba centres through its ICT Skills Hub and Digital Technology Academy.
UNICEF urged private companies to offer internships, apprenticeships and jobs so trainees can move from learning to earning.
The launch event in Kano was attended by the Chief of UNICEF's Kano field office, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the ITF zonal director, commissioners from the three states, traditional leaders, training providers and youth groups.
What happens next: The induction training for training service providers runs from November 2 to Friday, November 6, 2026. Training of the 3,400 beneficiaries is expected to follow, with the hubs providing support afterwards.
