Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has called on past and present northern leaders to collaborate on developing a marshal plan to address youth development challenges in the North.
He made the call on Wednesday as a panelist at the Stakeholders’ Roundtable on Northern Nigeria Youth Development, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Abuja.
According to the governor, the marshal plan must involve all stakeholders, emphasising that “all Northerners who have held political positions from 1999 to date-at both federal and state levels-must be part of this northern rescue mission.”
He further stated that “Beyond the political class, the business community, traditional and religious institutions, and civil society must also be engaged in this initiative.
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“In designing the marshal plan, security strategies, or frameworks, northern states and stakeholders must strategically involve the youth. Their full participation will undoubtedly be a game-changer in addressing insecurity and overcoming developmental challenges,” he noted.
“In Kaduna State, we are building three Vocational and Technological Skills Acquisition Cities to equip our youths with the requisite skills to enable them to take up jobs in industries and other businesses our administration has attracted to Kaduna State. The Skills Cities will graduate at least 12,000 youths annually.
“We are also remodelling the Panteka Market in Kaduna to become a major centre for skills acquisition, engaging over 38,000 artisans. We are carrying out comprehensive infrastructure upgrade at Panteka Market to make it an international centre for skills acquisition and job creation,” he further said.
Governor Uba Sani also said that his administration ‘’ is collaborating with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to provide Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) certification for graduates of the Skills Cities and Panteka Market.
‘’NSQF is an instrument approved by the Federal Executive Council for the development, classification and recognition of skills, knowledge and competencies acquired through technical and vocational training,’’ he added.
According to the Kaduna State Governor, ‘’this certification is recognized locally and globally and will provide our youths with employment across various industries.’’
‘’Additionally, we shall support the graduates of our Skills Cities and Panteka Market with start-up packs and financial support to enable them to start their businesses and gradually become employers of the labour themselves,’’ he added.
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