L-R: Comrade Yunusa Otokiti, ITF Area Manager, Kano State; Mallam Aliu Ibn Zakari, ITF Area Manager, Jigawa State; Engr. Sirajo Tukur, ITF North-West Zonal Director; Dr. Funmilayo Doherty, Project Coordinator; and other members of the project team during a courtesy visit to the ITF Kano Area Office.
By Peace Udugba -The Daily Torch Media
The initiative, supported by the European Union, will equip young people across 30 LGAs in Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states with vocational, digital, green and entrepreneurial skills.
The Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) North-West Zonal Office, is set to launch the Youth Employability and Skills Project (YESP) in Kano, targeting 3,400 young Nigerians across 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states.
The programme launch and induction training for Training Service Providers will commence on Monday, November 2, and run until Friday, November 6, 2026.
The initiative is supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union (EU) under the EU-supported Education and Youth Empowerment Programme in Northern Nigeria (EYEPINN).
The project aims to equip adolescents and young people with practical vocational, digital, green and entrepreneurial skills to improve their employability, promote enterprise development and create sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Of the 3,400 beneficiaries, 1,700 will be females and 1,700 males, reflecting the project’s commitment to inclusive participation and equal access to skills development opportunities.
Ahead of the launch, the YESP team, led by the Project Coordinator, Dr. Funmilayo Doherty, paid a courtesy visit to the ITF North-West Zonal Director, Engr. Sirajo Tukur, to strengthen institutional collaboration and secure support for the successful implementation of the project.
Other members of the delegation included the ITF Area Manager for Kano State, Comrade Yunusa Otokiti; the Area Manager for Dutse, Jigawa State, Mallam Aliu Ibn Zakari; programme facilitators and other members of the project team.
Receiving the delegation, Tukur expressed delight at the initiative and pledged his full support for its successful implementation.
He stressed that youth empowerment remained critical to national development, noting that equipping young people with relevant vocational and entrepreneurial skills would strengthen their capacity to contribute meaningfully to the economy.
Earlier, Doherty provided an overview of the project, explaining its objectives, implementation framework and expected impact on the benefiting communities.
She called for greater cooperation from ITF leadership and other stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of the project’s objectives.
According to her, the project will be implemented by YABATECH in collaboration with the ITF North-West Zonal Office and the ITF Area Offices in Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states, with support from UNICEF and the European Union.
She explained that each of the three states would have 10 participating LGAs, focusing on communities where UNICEF is already working with state governments under the EU-supported programme.
Doherty added that beyond technical competencies, the intervention would equip participants with the skills and knowledge required to secure employment, establish businesses and pursue other productive livelihood opportunities.
She noted that the inclusion of digital and green skills reflected changing labour market demands and the growing importance of innovation and sustainable economic practices.
The project will also adopt a collaborative implementation approach involving government institutions, local communities, training service providers and other stakeholders to encourage local ownership, broaden participation and ensure the sustainability of its outcomes.
The Rector of YABATECH, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Abdul, was also said to have continued to support initiatives that strengthen the institution’s engagement with development partners and deploy its technical expertise to address national development challenges.
He noted that the YESP intervention reinforced the college’s commitment to skills development, innovation and youth empowerment while creating stronger pathways between education, training, employment and entrepreneurship.
With 3,400 young people expected to benefit across the three states, the project represents a significant collaborative effort to strengthen human capital development and improve the economic prospects of young Nigerians.
Tags: UNICEF, YABATECH, ITF, YESP, Youth Empowerment, Vocational Training, European Union, Skills Development, Nigeria.
