The Nigerian Army has launched a skills acquisition program in Katsina State aimed at empowering 10,000 widows, orphans, and youths to become self-reliant and help reduce insecurity.
The initiative, organized by the 35 Battalion and sponsored by the 17 Brigade, commenced with the training of the first batch of 120 beneficiaries at the barracks in Katsina.
The Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. Ishaya Ibrahim, said the program would equip beneficiaries with practical skills while promoting economic empowerment.
Ibrahim, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Col. Nehemiah Yakubu, said the initiative would also engage youths productively and reduce their vulnerability to criminal activities and other forms of insecurity.
He urged the organizers to sustain and expand the program to accommodate more beneficiaries, stressing that skills acquisition remained an effective tool for creating economic opportunities for young people.
The commander added that beneficiaries would receive starter packs or financial assistance after completing the training to enable them to establish small businesses.
Earlier, the Commanding Officer of the 35 Battalion and initiator of the program, Lt.-Col. Okorie Obasi, said the first batch of 120 beneficiaries would undergo three months of training.
Obasi said the program targeted 10,000 beneficiaries and described the 120 trainees as the first batch in a phased empowerment scheme.
He said the initiative was designed to take youths off the streets by engaging them in productive activities and addressing some of the factors contributing to banditry and other crimes.
“By the time youths are engaged productively, there is every possibility that banditry will drastically reduce,” he said.
Obasi said the program, organized in collaboration with the Subulu Salam Skills Acquisition Center, was open to residents beyond the barracks community.
According to him, youths from neighboring communities would also benefit from the initiative.
He recalled that the brigade had empowered youths and implemented development projects in communities around the barracks during the 2026 Nigerian Army Day celebration.
Obasi said the next batch would consist of about 200 beneficiaries, adding that subsequent batches would continue until the program reaches its target of 10,000 beneficiaries.
The Director-General of the Subulul Salam Skills Acquisition Center, Imam Samu Adamu-Bakori, said the center would provide the vocational training and support the empowerment of beneficiaries.
Adamu-Bakori, who is also the Chief Imam of Masjid Bani Kumasi GRA Juma’at Mosque and a Sharia Court Judge with the Katsina State Judiciary, said the initiative was designed to empower youths, reduce unemployment and strengthen economic opportunities.
He said the center would use skills acquisition to tackle youth unemployment and support broader efforts to address insecurity in the state.
According to him, unemployment remains one of the factors that can expose young people to criminal activities, making sustainable empowerment programs essential.
Adamu-Bakori expressed optimism that the initiative would produce more self-reliant youths and expand economic opportunities across Katsina State.
The beneficiaries will receive training in various vocational skills, with additional support planned for some participants to establish small businesses after completing the program.
source: NAN
