UNICEF, EU, YABATECH launch skills training for 3,400 youths in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto

About 3,400 young people for Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states go learn practical trades under one new programme wey dem launch for Kano on Monday.

The Youth Employability and Skills Project (YESP) na Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) dey run am with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and European Union dey support.

E target adolescents and young people across 30 local government areas — 10 for each state. Kano go take 1,200 trainees, while Jigawa and Sokoto go get 1,100 each, according to the project coordinator, Dr Funmilayo Doherty.

Dem split the beneficiaries equally: 1,700 young women and 1,700 young men.

Wetin dem go learn

The training go cover 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 talk say dem choose the skills to match wetin local markets really need. Doherty talk say dem no go force communities to take trades, and say one validation exercise with stakeholders go align training with local demand.

“Our question should be practical: After a young person finish the training, how e go use this skill to earn sustainable livelihood?”

Training go follow the National Occupational Standards and the National Skills Qualification Framework. Trainees go receive NSQ Level 2 certification and YABATECH completion certificates.

Dem go also set up Community Entrepreneurship Hubs for the three states to mentor beneficiaries after training and help dem start businesses.

Why e matter

Youth unemployment na one of Nigeria's biggest challenges, and the north-west carry big share of am. One trainee wey leave with a trade — phone repair, solar installation, poultry — get route to income without waiting for salaried job.

UNICEF's education specialist for its Kano field office, Heinrich Rukundo, talk say Nigeria's greatest asset na its young population, but to turn that into economic gain, e need skills wey match labour market as technology and climate change dey reshape industries.

The YABATECH Rector, Ibraheem Abdul, wey Deputy Rector Ismail Badmus represent, describe the project as response to the need for market-relevant skills. He talk say the college dey already train about 18,000 young people nationwide for its Epe, Ikeja and Yaba centres through its ICT Skills Hub and Digital Technology Academy.

UNICEF urge private companies to offer internships, apprenticeships and jobs so trainees fit move from learning to earning.

The launch event for Kano get Chief of UNICEF's Kano field office, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), ITF zonal director, commissioners from the three states, traditional leaders, training providers and youth groups.

Wetin go happen next: The induction training for training service providers go run from November 2 to Friday, November 6, 2026. Training of the 3,400 beneficiaries dey expected to follow, with the hubs providing support afterwards.