Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has rolled out empowerment packages to 2,260 graduates of eight entrepreneurship skills institutes across the state, in a renewed push to tackle youth unemployment and stimulate grassroots economic growth.
The distribution, which took place on Sunday at the Open Arena of the Government House, Kano, drew beneficiaries, government officials and other stakeholders, marking what the governor described as a turning point in the state’s youth empowerment drive.
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Addressing the gathering, Governor Yusuf said the programme was designed to restore hope and unlock the productive potential of young people by equipping them with practical skills, tools and start-up capital to become self-reliant entrepreneurs.
He recalled that the entrepreneurship institutes were established during the administration of former governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to promote skills acquisition and economic development, but were later shut down by the immediate past government.
According to him, their revival reflects his administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and youth-focused development.
“Each beneficiary here is not just receiving a certificate, but the tools and support needed to start a business and earn a dignified living,” Yusuf said. “This is about reducing unemployment, curbing youth restiveness and building a diversified and sustainable economy for Kano State.”
The governor urged the graduates to see the support as the beginning of a long-term entrepreneurial journey. “The tools and capital you have received today are seeds. Use them wisely and they will grow into successful ventures that will benefit you, your families and the state,” he advised.
Under the programme, 250 graduates of the Informatics Institute, Kura, received laptop computers and phone repair kits. Graduates of the Livestock Institute, Bagauda (205), Poultry Institute (600) and Fisheries Institute (205) were each provided with 50-day-old chicks, cages, drinkers, feeders, medicaments and five bags of feed.
Additionally, 250 graduates of the Driving Institute received driver’s licences and certificates, while 250 horticulture graduates were given water pumps, wheelbarrows, hand shovels, watering cans and other farming tools. Three hundred graduates of the Film Institute received tablets and external hard drives, and 200 graduates of the Development Journalism Institute were equipped with tablets and artificial intelligence recorders.
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Beneficiaries from seven of the institutes also received a cash grant of ₦50,000 each, while graduates of the Driving Institute were given ₦100,000 each as start-up support.
In a goodwill message, Jibril Isma’il Falgore, speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, praised Governor Yusuf for what he described as visible progress under his administration. He assured the executive of the legislature’s continued support in implementing people-oriented development programmes across the state.
