By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar
The Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with the Katsina State Agency for Mass Education, has launched a vocational training and empowerment programme in Funtua Senatorial Zone, targeting out-of-school youths and adults across five local government areas.
Implemented through the National Mass Education Commission (NMEC), the scheme seeks to modernise traditional skills and equip beneficiaries with tools for self-reliance. Men and women aged 15 and above will undergo hands-on training in selected trades, with start-up kits provided to help them establish small-scale businesses.
On Tuesday, 23 September 2025, a joint federal and state delegation led by Hajiya Bilkisu Muhammad Kaikai, Director-General of the Katsina State Agency for Mass Education, conducted a monitoring tour tagged Data Capture Exercise—to assess progress at various centres in the zone.
Training Centres Visited
The exercise covered centres located at:
Tsangayar Malam Ali Shugaba, Layin 'Yan Tantan, Kafur LGA, Kofar Gabas Kadirawa, Danja LGA, Tudun Malamai (A) Compound, Funtua LGA, Kofar Gidan Liman, Malumfashi LGA, Bakori Abdulkadir Primary School, Bakori LGA.
Hajiya Kaikai disclosed that the initiative was originally planned for three local governments but was later expanded by Governor Dikko Umar Radda to include more LGAs for broader coverage and inclusiveness.
She stressed that the empowerment programme is not only designed to curb unemployment but also serves as a strategic investment in skills development and poverty reduction, particularly for vulnerable groups such as out-of-school youths and adults.
