Kaduna State is playing up investments in education, skills acquisition, and job creation, writes ALEX KASHAM
With a current unemployment rate of 4.3% and about 3.9 million without jobs, Nigeria is not a picnic for the unemployed. But for young Nigerians, it can be particularly tough. However, it is vital not to despair but back up hope with tangible solutions. Hence, it gladdened my heart that Kaduna State is furiously attacking unemployment from all sides.
Recently, the state organised the second edition of the Kaduna Career Fair in collaboration with Jobberman and the Mastercard Foundation. The event which was held at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Hall was attended by over 1,000 job seekers and more than 100 employers. What is particularly interesting is that all the employers at the venue had a minimum of two vacancies to be immediately filled or in the near future.
At the inaugural edition of the fair held on November 23, 2023, over 1,496 unemployed youths and 71 employers participated. And by the end of the day, over 300 job placements were secured. And according to reports from the 2025 edition, five persons successfully got jobs on day one of the event.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology, Patience Fakai, lauded the activities of the Governor Uba Sani administration to place Kaduna as the “Skills Hub of the Nation.” She further highlighted the importance of Sani’s flagship project of constructing three world-class vocational and technology skills acquisition cities across the state.
“These projects are carefully designed to enhance productivity, generate wealth, reduce poverty, and set Kaduna on a path of sustainable socio-economic growth.”
Jobberman is one of Nigeria’s leading agencies for connecting qualified candidates with trusted employers. The company also trains candidates in marketable skills, while MasterCard Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, is at the forefront of expanding access to affordable financial services for youth-led MSMEs in the agriculture, creative industry, and digital economy sector. To watchers, this fair is another win as it represents hope, opportunity and most importantly reduction in unemployment.
But while job fairs are great, especially for the optics, it is more important that lasting solutions are deployed to tackle unemployment. And the Kaduna State governor, Senator Sani has been doing just that by emphasizing the need for substantial investments in education, skills acquisition, and job creation to tackle youth development. Whether it is by directly partnering with the smallholder farmers, or the artisans at the Panteka Market, the Sani-administration is focused on achieving success together.
In August 2024, his administration inaugurated the Kaduna State Skills Development Council, serving as the highest decision-making body for skills development in the state. Chaired by the governor, the council’s mandate includes developing a comprehensive framework and annual action plans to tackle youth unemployment. The council comprises representatives from the Ministry of Business Innovations and Technology, Ministry of Sports Development, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, and Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, to oversee the implementation of the program. The council also has representatives from educational institutions and technical bodies, reflecting a collaborative approach to human capital development.
Also, remember that by June 2024, the state had reduced the number of out-of-school children by over 300,000 within a year, through the construction of 62 new secondary schools and 2,347 new classrooms in existing primary schools. This investment in education aims to equip young people with foundational knowledge, preparing them for further vocational training and employment opportunities.
In fact, the Sani administration began laying the ground for sustainable employment since it took over the saddle in May 2023. In November 2023, it commenced the construction of a skills acquisition center in Rigachikun, Igabi Local Government Area. This facility is expected to train over 1,500 individuals annually in 19 different vocations, including oil and gas welding, automotive mechatronics, solar power installation, and fashion design. It should be noted that the state has replicated this centre in Soba and Samarun Kataf too. It is the governor’s vision that these vocational and technological skills acquisition cities would graduate at least 12,000 youths annually.
The administration is also remodeling the famous Panteka Market in Tudun Wada, transforming it into a major center for skills acquisition and job creation. The upgraded market will provide training in trades such as carpentry, welding, painting, roofing, plumbing, and electrical work. This initiative aims to engage over 38,000 artisans, offering them enhanced facilities and opportunities to improve their skills and productivity. And the icing on the cake is that the state government aims to ensure the quality and recognition of the training programs by collaborating with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to provide National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) certification. This certification which recognises the skills acquired through technical and vocational training opens up employment opportunities for the graduates both locally and internationally. Also, the state government plans to support graduates from the artisan programmes at Panteka start-up packs and financial assistance to foster entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
By investing in vocational training centers, remodeling existing markets to integrate formal training for the next generation of artisans, Kaduna State aims to create a sustainable ecosystem for youth empowerment. These efforts may not yield fruits immediately but they are the groundwork for long-term economic growth and development.
Also, take agriculture for instance. Not many people may be aware that the sector employs 70% of Kaduna residents and contributes more than 51% to the state’s GDP. But Governor Sani knows that and right from the blast of the whistle, his administration designed and implemented plans to boost the smallholder farmers across the state. The state has also ensured farmers are empowered with inputs like seedlings and fertilisers as well as farm equipment like tillers and solar-powered water pumping machines. With Kaduna partnering with various firms especially in agribusiness and in the mining sector, employment opportunities would blossom.
But in all, while the Kaduna fair represents hope, the turn-out also represents the precarious situation which the average Nigerian youth find themselves in. However, if events like the Jobberman/Mastercard Foundation career fair can be scaled up across the country, some amelioration is in sight. A situation where youths are trained in marketable skills in addition to the availability of trusted portals to reach out to employers is a win-win. However, with formal jobs being scarce, entrepreneurship has become a viable alternative. Hence, since access to funding remains a hurdle, more initiatives to guarantee seed funding and business training are needed.
And just like how Kaduna is doing, every state government including the federal government should know they have to embark on the journey to solving the menace of youth unemployment. And of course, it goes without saying that this sort of partnership Kaduna is having with developmental stakeholders can also become a norm replicated across the 36 states of the country. It is for the betterment of all of us.
Kasham writes from Kaduna
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