The Kano State Government has reiterated its commitment to the fight against drug abuse among women and youths in the state.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zahra’u Muhammad-Umar, said this on Saturday at the graduation ceremony of trained and reformed drug-dependent youths at the Kano Reformatory Institute in Kiru Local Government Area (LGA).

“We want to ensure that we reduce drug addiction and create employment in a way to keep them out of drugs and engage them meaningfully,” she said.

Ms Muhammad-Umar said that 21 youths, including 20 males and one female were reformed and trained on various enterepreneurship skills to become self-reliant.

She said that they were counselled on the effects of drug abuse before undergoing recreational, entrepreneurship classes and other relevant knowledge to make them useful to society.

“Parents of each reformed person paid N70,000 for feeding and drugs per month. The state government takes care of other bills and staff allowances, among others,” she said.

The graduates were trained on shoe-making, carpentry, poultry and sewing, and were given sewing machines, carpentry tools, shoes and bags materials, chickens, cages, welding machines and N20,000 each for transportation.

Chairman of the LGA, Muntari Kafin-Maiyaki said that the institute had reformed thousands of youths since its inception and uplifted the standard of living of the people by curtailing drug abuse and unemployment in the area.

Mr Kafin-Maiyaki urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the materials.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Aliyu Muhammad thanked the government for the gesture and promised that they would rededicate themselves to the skills learnt.

(NAN)