Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, recently inspected the Renewed Hope Technical Workshop and the Bola Tinubu Multi-Purpose Skill Acquisition Centre, both located on the outskirts of the state capital, Dutse. These centres were established to serve as models for training young people to become productive and to help them regain faith and confidence in their future.
Governor Namadi’s vision and mission to make Jigawa State prosperous and great have accorded top priority to youth development and the creation of an enabling environment where everyone can harness their natural potential and support this vision.
Investing in youth education and skills training is recognised as the bedrock of building a resilient and sustainable future for society. The Jigawa State government has already aligned itself with this principle.
Since assuming office, Governor Namadi has signed agreements and memoranda of understanding with various partners possessing diverse expertise in skills training. Many skill acquisition centres have been renovated, and new ones have been established and equipped with modern facilities for training young men and women.
To date, thousands of youths have been trained in various skills both within and outside the country, and many are currently working in different private and public establishments.
The Renewed Hope Technical Workshop was established in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which also aligns with Governor Malam Umar Namadi’s 12-point agenda for promoting youth productivity. The provision of this workshop has already raised the hopes of Jigawa’s youth and the general public for more advanced technical workshops and skill-acquisition centres where young people can be trained to meet contemporary challenges.
During the inspection, Governor Namadi declared that the facility was established to serve as a training centre for youth and a centre of excellence and innovation.
He further stated that the centre is expected to serve as a hub for innovation, fabrication, and the development of necessary equipment and facilities to address public and domestic demands and challenges.
Although the centre has already started skeleton operations, with experts busy designing and fabricating various items including hospital equipment, agricultural tools and domestic utensils, it has been attracting public attention from within and outside the state.
According to the governor, Jigawa has signed memoranda of understanding with several foreign companies to upgrade the centre into an advanced facility.
During the visit, some Chinese experts also indicated interest in supporting Jigawa State’s mission to make the centre a world-class technical workshop and a training ground for Jigawa’s youth.
The Renewed Hope Technical Centre is designed to provide manpower to support Jigawa State’s industrial projects and serve as a source of solutions to industrial technical problems.
Adjacent to the Renewed Hope Technical Workshop, the Jigawa State government has also established the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Multi-Purpose Skill Acquisition Centre, equipping it with the latest facilities for training youth and women in various job skills. Hundreds of young people, including university graduates and homemakers, have enrolled in various trades to become self-reliant and contribute to state and national growth.
Governor Namadi was visibly delighted with the commitment of the centre’s instructors and students. He promised to continue supporting the youth with loans, grants and an enabling environment to help them practise the skills they have learned.
Habibu Musa from Birnin Kudu Local Government, who enrolled to learn leatherwork at the centre, said that within two months they had learned how to produce various leather items. She expressed her hope of becoming self-reliant after graduation.
“I am at this centre with my husband’s consent. I believe that after graduation, with government support, both of us will raise the funds to ensure I can start my own business. The skill I have learned, I will also teach to anyone in our community who shows interest in learning it. What I mean is that the trade will be open to any interested person in my community, insha’Allah,” Habiba declared.
Ms Talatu Usman from Roni Local Government, who is receiving training in tailoring and fashion design, said that although she had been a tailor for at least three years, what she learned in two months at the centre has improved her skills and exposed her to modern fashion design.
“What I am learning now is opening a new window for me on how to enhance and modernise my business to attract more customers and earn more income. I am hopeful that at the end of the training, I will become a master of modern fashion design,” she said.
The two centres, which have yet to be officially commissioned, are expected to be inaugurated by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as they symbolise the hope that the people of Jigawa have placed in the Renewed Hope Project and the 12-point agenda.
Governor Namadi’s commitment to youth development, which aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, has rekindled and raised the hopes of Jigawa’s youth for achieving self-reliance and sustainable growth.
