The Yobe government has employed 3,196 youths in the state’s civil service in the last five years.

Barma Shettima, the commissioner for youths, sports and social development, disclosed this in an interview in Damaturu on Friday.

He said those employed during Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration since 2019 were holders of degrees, diplomas, and National Certificates of Education.

Mr Shettima listed the professions where youths were employed, including doctors, pharmacists, midwives, nurses, and laboratory technicians.

The commissioner noted that the recruitment empowered youths and minimised redundancy, crimes and other social vices in Yobe. He said the governor had also appointed youths as chief executives of many government establishments, including the Yobe Scholarship Board, Yobe Microfinance Bank, Yobe Emergency Management Agency and the Yobe Information Technology Development Agency.

He said, “Many youths have also been trained and retrained in different trades such as cosmetology, modern methods of crop cultivation, animal production, among others. The goal of this administration is to create an enabling environment for youths to engage in meaningful ventures for the development of the state and the country at large.”

Mr Shettima identified the domestication of the Child Rights Protection Act in Yober as one of the major achievements of the ministry. He said that for seamless implementation, critical stakeholders had already been trained in how to sensitise the public to the need to obey the law, which is translated into local languages.

Mr Shettima announced that Yobe would host the 2024 North-East Zonal Sports Festival, saying details would be released shortly.

The commissioner said Mr Buni had directed that local wrestling and ‘langa’- which a player hops on one leg and tries to push the other – should be promoted and encouraged among youths. 

He said plans had advanced to upgrade the August 27 Stadium, Damaturu, to international standard, adding that the stadia in Geidam, Potiskum, Gujba and Nguru would also be upgraded.

(NAN)