The Sokoto State Government has initiated a pre-national youth conference aimed at gathering data to develop a tailored blueprint for youth empowerment that addresses the specific needs of each locality across the state.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Kofar Marke, said the initiative seeks to create a comprehensive framework that will drive rapid youth development across Sokoto State and Nigeria at large.
According to him, the blueprint will serve as a long-term guide for effective and impactful youth empowerment initiatives. He stressed the importance of aligning empowerment programs with the unique economic realities and predominant trades in each community.
“Often, those who want to empower our youth fail to ask what they truly need. They overlook the predominant businesses in the localities,” he said.
“For example, youth in Sokoto North, located within the state metropolis, require digital skills and computer training. On the other hand, youth in Gada, Sabon Birni, Isa, and Tangaza, where agriculture is prevalent, would benefit more from agricultural empowerment tools and training,” he added.
He emphasized that mismatched interventions—such as providing tractors in urban areas where farming isn’t common—are unlikely to yield the desired results.
Kofar Marke said the conference is bringing together youth representatives from all 23 local government areas to collectively identify their empowerment needs based on their local industries. The data gathered, he said, will inform a practical blueprint to guide future government and stakeholder interventions.
Comrade Garba Muhammad Aliyu, a representative of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), urged participants to seize the opportunity to express their needs and explore solutions to Nigeria’s youth development challenges.
Also speaking, Comrade Isa Abdullahi Iyan Yabo, Chairman of NYCN, Sokoto State Chapter, said the conference aims to amplify youth voices across the state’s constituencies and forge consensus ahead of the 2025 National Youth Conference scheduled for next month.
He called on the state government to implement the expected recommendations, emphasizing that any form of empowerment provided to the youth would be utilized meaningfully if it aligns with their specific needs.
Other notable speakers at the event included Hajiya Hadiza Galadima, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports; Dr. Mansur Isah Buhari of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto; and Dr. Garba Muhammad Aliyu, State Coordinator of the AGILE project in Sokoto.
