The Adamawa State Government said it empowered 25,170 youths and women with various skills to reduce unemployment, fight poverty and enhance wealth creation at the grass-roots.

The Commissioner for Entrepreneurship Development, Iliya James, stated in an interview with journalists on Saturday in Yola.

Mr James, who spoke while reviewing the scorecard of the Ahmadu Fintiri administration in the last one year, said the beneficiaries were exposed to different trades to enable them to become productive, and improve their social and economic wellbeing.

He listed the trades to include tailoring, barbing, hairdressing, carpentry, poultry, painting, computer and social media services.

Others include entrepreneurship development, air freshener, jelly, detergent, and leather crafts.

Mr James said the Fintiri administration also distributed starter packs to the graduates of the skills acquisition programme, including carpentry tools, sewing machines, zigzag machines, and electronic irons, among others.

He said that 15 artisan groups in Gombi, Hong, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha got sewing machines, generators, clippers, hand dryers, water pumps and grinding machines.

“The ministry trained and empowered 4,000 persons selected from 400 cooperative societies with agricultural inputs. We also empowered 10,000 youth, women and vulnerable persons with N50,000 each for microbusinesses through the Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency, while 7,000 NG-CARES beneficiaries received N50,000 each,” he said.

The state government, he said, also rehabilitated skills acquisition centres to train youths and provide them with opportunities to become self-reliant.

“Governor Fintiri got accreditation of the 10 centres across the 21 LGAs for the trainees to have two certificates, including the National Skill Qualification Framework. After receiving the certificates, they are qualified to work anywhere in the county and beyond,” he said.

He enjoined the youth to avail themselves of the opportunities to learn the trades to enable them to engage in productive activities, and contribute to sustainable social and economic development in the country.

(NAN)