Masari’s aide advocates skills acquisition training for varsity students

From Lawal Sa’ idu Funtua, Katsina

Special Adviser to Katsina State Governor on Economic Empowerment, Alhaji Abdulqadir Mamman Nasir has advocated for skills acquisition training for university students.
He emphasized teaching of the students on a particular hand before their graduation.
Nasir who made the call weekend in Katsina while speaking in an interview with newsmen, noted that teaching such skills to graduates would enable them to have a source of income without waiting for the elusive government job.
“These university students apart from their normal academic work they can learn a trade such as bricklaying, plumbing, electric, mechanical jobs and others. This will make them after graduating to have a source of income to depend on,” he added.
According to him, the war ravaged Syria tried this during the reign of late Hafiz Al- Assad, which he said made a lot of Syrians to get jobs in Europe when their country was engulfed in endless war that rendered the country unsafe for any economic venture.
He therefore revealed that his department of economic empowerment had introduced similar programme on pilot basis at the secondary school level where he added that six secondary schools were selected where the students were introduced to the culture of poultry and fish production.
The adviser also disclosed that his department has spent the total sum of N13.6 million on empowering Fulani Women with a loan scheme to enble them complement their income and encourage them to stay in one place to improve their economic status.
Similarly, Nasir further disclosed that 1890 persons living with disability were supported by the department with a loan of N56.7 million to encourage them to set-up businesses and contribute meaningfully to the development of the society.
Trade unions across the 34 local governments of the state, according to the adviser received a loan of N319. 5 million while 1, 083 women across all local governments of the state benefitted from the N104.1 million goat breeding loans.
However, Nasir observed that there was no better way to ensure peace and security in the society other than through such empowerment programme that takes care of all categories of people in the society by raising their economic well-being.