No fewer than 1,000 students of Kaduna state-owned Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, have been equipped with complementary business and digital skills to boost self-reliance and reduce dependence on government jobs.
The initiative is spearheaded by a government-backed programme under the auspices of EI’s Empowerment Foundation in collaboration with private partners.
Flagging off the event, Foundation Coordinator, Malam Musa Aliyu, said the programme was designed to provide students with practical knowledge and starter resources to run small-scale enterprises while in school and after graduation.
“Every year, about 600,000 students graduate from over 300 tertiary institutions nationwide, yet only about 6,000 secure government jobs,” he said.
“This reality makes it critical to equip young people with digital and vocational skills to create their own opportunities.”
Aliyu explained that the training aligns with the government’s Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) initiative and would cover modern bakery, shower gel production, and other small-scale ventures, in addition to digital skills provided by partners. Starter packs will be given to selected participants, while the foundation will monitor their progress for three months to ensure sustainability.
Speaking on the digital component, Alhaji Abubakar Barde, Chief Executive Officer of ASB Data, encouraged students to leverage smartphones and low-capital opportunities to earn a living.
“With as little as N10,000, you can start businesses such as data vending or digital communication services without stepping into a market,” Barde said.
The Rector of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Dr Mohammed Kabir, represented by Malam Umar Hassan, Director of the School of Management Studies, described the programme as timely, stressing that poverty, unemployment, and inequality remained key challenges in Nigeria.
“What this foundation is doing is not just training students but shaping entrepreneurs who will build peace and stability by reducing youth restiveness,” he added.
The organisers said the initiative would run periodically to reach more students and create a network of self-reliant youth across tertiary institutions.