The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has certified 10 local hunters in Kaduna for homeland security duties under its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme.

At a ceremony to present certificates to the beneficiaries on Friday at the NBTE headquarters in Kaduna, the board’s executive secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said the beneficiaries were drawn from the Kabala area of Kaduna.

He said they were assessed and certified at level two under the Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework.

He said the RPL programme was designed to recognise skills acquired by Nigerians outside the formal education system.

According to him, the initiative covers artisans, roadside mechanics, hunters and other skilled workers in the informal sector.

“We have decided in NBTE to develop occupational standards on homeland security because skills are involved,” Mr Bugaje said.

He said the board had developed occupational standards up to level five for homeland security operations.

Mr Bugaje said the 10 hunters successfully underwent the RPL process and were certified after their competencies were assessed and verified.

He said the certificates were approved by NBTE and recognised by the head of service, providing the beneficiaries with opportunities for further training and employment.

According to him, the certification could benefit the hunters if the government begins recruitment for state police or forest guards.

Mr Bugaje said many traditional hunters lacked formal Western education but possessed practical skills relevant to homeland security.

“The skills in homeland security are more important than even the paper qualification,” he said.

He urged the beneficiaries to embrace due diligence, stressing that homeland security involved firearms, intelligence gathering and the protection of lives.

Mr Bugaje said the beneficiaries were reoriented on intelligence gathering, engagement procedures and rules governing encounters with suspected enemies.

“When you are engaging an enemy, you don’t start shooting straight; there are rules,” he said.

He said the certification and additional training would improve the hunters’ effectiveness in combating banditry and other crimes.

Mr Bugaje said NBTE had previously applied the RPL system to skilled workers in Panteka and roadside mechanics before extending it to traditional hunters.

He said the system allowed people without formal Western education to obtain certification after demonstrating their competencies through assessment.

The executive secretary said the board had certified at least 1,000 people since launching the RPL programme last year.

He said Kenya, which started its RPL programme around the same period, had certified about 50,000 people.

Mr Bugaje attributed the difference partly to inadequate government funding for Nigeria’s RPL programme.

“Our main issue is that the government does not provide adequate funding to carry out this RPL,” he said.

He appealed to state and local governments to support the programme by sponsoring hunters, artisans and other skilled workers for assessment and certification.

The ES said certification would encourage skilled workers to pursue further training while improving the quality of services they provide.

He also advocated proper assessment and integration of traditional hunters into broader security efforts against banditry.

Mr Bugaje said such integration should include competency assessment, confirmation of marksmanship abilities, further training and provision of modern technology.

The executive secretary said traditional hunters could complement the efforts of the police and military if properly assessed, trained and integrated into security operations.

Also speaking, the village head of Kabala, Malam Danlami Bawa, commended NBTE for the initiative, describing it as a significant opportunity for the community’s traditional hunters.

Mr Bawa said Mr Bugaje’s foresight in introducing the initiative would enable skilled people without formal education to gain recognition and opportunities.

He urged the certified hunters to use their newly acquired qualifications responsibly and avoid actions that could bring disrepute to themselves and the community.

Mr Bawa reminded them that the certification was meant to empower them based on their skills and potential, not to encourage conflict or wrongdoing.

He said the community stood as guarantor for the beneficiaries and urged them to protect the honour associated with the opportunity.

“If you perform good deeds, it reflects on this servant of God, but if you act recklessly, you will be throwing dust in my eyes,” he said.

One of the hunters, Yakubu Sani, popularly known as Yakubu Baushe, thanked the organisers for the recognition.

Mr Sani said the certification represented progress for him, his community and the country, expressing optimism that the training would modernise their operations.

He said hunters from different ethnic backgrounds worked together peacefully, adding that their bond extended beyond formal associations, including across countries such as Kenya and Cameroon.

(NAN)