Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has approved the distribution of starter kits worth N1.2 billion to 832 trained artisans, mostly orphans of Boko Haram insurgency, who graduated from the the State Enterprise Institute.
Governor Zulum, who spoke on Tuesday at the graduation of the trained artisans held at the Muna Vocational Enterprise Institute in Jere local government area of the State, said the participants were trained in different vocational skills.
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He said trainees were selected from the 27 Council areas and had undergone one year intensive training in 14 different trades. 54 trainees were trained in Aluminium Fabrication; 29 in Bricklaying; 48 in Carpentry; and 73 in Information Technology.
Others included 41 specialising in Barbing; 46 in Electrical Works; 85 in Leather works; 40 in Plumbing; 72 in Mechanics; 67 in Solar Technology; 148 in Tailoring; 18 in Tie and Dye; 59 in Welding and 53 in Hairdressing.
” Sum of N847,277,297 worth of kits, grants shared to 832 trained artisans, in addition to another N349,440,000 one-year labour-intensive public work grant that will help them attain self-reliance. A total of N1.2 billion was released as package for the trainees.
“I have approved N41,600,000, with each 832 graduating artisans getting N50,000″, the governor said.
The governor equally approved automatic employment for the 64 best artisans who had achieved over 90% performance.
“I understand that 64 out of 832 have scored above 90% in both their specialised trades and the academic assessment. I, therefore, direct that all 64 of them should be employed and deployed to other vocational institutes across the state”, Zulum said.
He noted that vocational institutes were established to address the challenges of youth unemployment and provide a means of livelihood for the people.
“Upon assuming Office, one of the primary objectives of my Administration has been youth empowerment. We were acutely aware of the devastating impact of insurgency on our communities, leaving many without means of livelihood and leading to widespread unemployment, idleness, and despair. As the saying goes, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
“To address these challenges head-on, we established Vocational Enterprise Institutes, focusing on admitting vulnerable individuals, particularly those affected by the insurgency, to equip them with skills for sustainable livelihoods”, he added.
Governor Zulum also ordered Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation to process modalities for converting Muna Vocational Enterprises Institute to a Monotechnic with the capacity to award a National Diploma.
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Earlier, Lawn Wakilbe, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, said with funding allocated by Governor Zulum to the Technical and Vocational Enterprises, the output across all centres was targeted at over 4,000 artisans annually.
