The Gombe State Government has said it is collaborating with the National Directorate of Employment to train 5,000 entrepreneurs in the state.
The Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, reiterated his administration’s commitment to collaborative initiatives to impact the people of the state.
Yahaya, who was represented by Commissioner for Science Technology and Innovation, Dr Aishatu Maigari, played host to a delegation of the National Directorate of Employment from Abuja on Monday.
“The state supports the collaboration to train about 5,000 entrepreneurs as part of efforts to create jobs for the teeming youth across the state,” he said.
He appreciated the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals for collaborating with the state to establish a world-class skills acquisition centre in the state.
Yahaya said his administration was poised to take advantage of the centre to create more employers of labour through skills and entrepreneurship training.
He also expressed optimism that the collaboration would be a lasting one, saying “the state government’s 10-year development plan largely focuses on human and economic development of citizens of the state to make jobs available and create wealth”.
Earlier, the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Abubakar Fikpo, represented by Isa Abdu, said the delegation was in the state to inspect the skills acquisition centre in furtherance of its collaboration with the state government.
Fikpo, while commending Yahaya’s foresight in ensuring opportunities for the young, said the initiative would train beneficiaries in various vocations to make them self-reliant.
“The directorate, having closely studied the state government’s deliberate plans for women and youth in terms of empowerment, was motivated to partner in training young ones with a view to taking them off the streets. This is for the good of the Society,” he said.
On his part, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, Bashir Tukur, said the programme was in line with the administration’s 10-year development plan.
“Effort is being intensified to make optimum utilisation of the skill acquisition centre to better the lives of people of the state, especially the young persons,” he added.
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