10,000 youths in Niger State, including women between the ages of 18 and 35, across the 25 local government areas will be trained in agriculture, creative industry, and other sectors. The training falls under the Transforming Nigerian Youth project, a partnership between the Programmes and Partnerships Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University, the Mastercard Foundation, and the Niger State government.
During a visit to the Government House in Minna on Tuesday, Governor Umaru Bago commended the initiative, acknowledging its potential to ensure human capital development. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to collaborating with development partners to train youths, women, and people with disabilities, making them self-reliant. The Governor also stated that the State government plans to increase the number of beneficiaries moving forward.
The leader of the delegation and Director of the Programmes and Partnerships Enterprise Development Centre, Dr. Olawale Anifowose, explained that the Centre is training 50 Nigerians as certified business development service providers for Small, Micro, and Medium Enterprises. These consultants will, in turn, train the 10,000 youths and women across the State. Dr. Anifowose commended the Governor for the rapid development his administration is bringing to the state and the support given to the centre to achieve the desired objective. The project’s objective is to provide beneficiaries with support to transition from the informal to the formal sector, enabling them to showcase their products locally and internationally. Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Investment Programme, Hauwa Bako, described the partnership as a commitment by the state government to invest in people, particularly youths and women, for sustainable development
