The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Muhammad Abubakar, has advised the Sokoto State Government to engage the Sokoto Professional Network (SPN) and similar NGOs to work in line with Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s Nine Points Smart Agenda to address the menace of youth unemployment in the state.
Abubakar made this statement at a Capacity Building Workshop for SPN students and graduates, themed “Public Speaking, Report Writing, and Presentation Skills.”
The Sultan, represented by the District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabbi, assured the continued collaboration of traditional rulers with 87 district heads, 465 village heads, and 6,211 ward heads in the state to work in synergy and mobilise people toward changing their attitude to address youth unemployment.
The Sultan noted that such efforts would solve issues of social unrest and other crimes resulting from unemployment.
He commended the Sokoto State government for supporting initiatives under the leadership of Engr. Zayyanu, stating that over the years, people have been championing capacity enhancement training for youths to become productive instead of engaging in violence.
According to the Sultan, the growing graduate population and labour market challenges in Nigeria are serious concerns.
He highlighted that people have become overly dependent on white-collar jobs, abandoning farming and other endowed skills and disciplines.
The Sultan congratulated the people, government of Sokoto State, and like-minded individuals, including Engr. Zayyanu, for their efforts in creating employment opportunities for the growing youth population.
He also commended the Sokoto Professional Network for training and networking many youths on entrepreneurship skills.
The State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, represented by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Isa Muhammad Maishanu, declared the workshop open, noting that entrepreneurship development is commendable, especially in the digital world.
He emphasized that the training would help youths find ways of self-employment and praised the SPN for its impactful work.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Engineer Zayyanu Tambari Yabo, enumerated the successes recorded by SPN within its five years of establishment, including training over 1,000 people on various skills such as solar installation, entrepreneurship, and career choices for JSS 3 students.
