The Kaduna government says its investment in education and youth empowerment aims to develop human capital and create sustainable employment opportunities. The information commissioner, Ahmad Maiyaki, disclosed this in an interview in Kaduna.

Mr Maiyaki said the government committed 25 per cent of its budget to education while investing in infrastructure and accrediting courses at state-owned institutions.

He said the Kaduna State University (KASU) received more than N300 million to secure accreditation for about 57 courses from the National Universities Commission.

According to him, the government also reduced tuition fees by 50 per cent and committed about N1.3 billion to local and foreign scholarships.

He said the administration constructed 75 new junior and secondary schools to address population growth and inadequate classroom facilities across communities.

“Over 500,000 students who sat for NECO and WAEC examinations have been sponsored by the state government over the last three years,” he said.

The commissioner said the government also established three vocational skills development centres in Soba, Rigachikun and Samaru Kataf. He said the centres were equipped with modern facilities and had trained 4,050 people in 14 different trades during their first graduation.

Mr Maiyaki said the government approved N810 million as start-up grants for the 4,050 graduates, with the funds already disbursed to beneficiaries. He said the centres were designed to train 32,000 people annually, describing skills development as critical to tackling unemployment and creating economic opportunities.

According to him, the beneficiaries include PhD holders, retired civil servants, graduates and people without secondary education.

Mr Maiyaki said the Federal Ministry of Education had approached Kaduna to adopt its technical and vocational education and training curriculum as a national framework. He said Kaduna was the only subnational entity with a functional skills council, chaired by the governor, that meets regularly to assess skills needs and employment opportunities.

The commissioner linked unemployment with insecurity, saying many youths involved in criminal activities lacked sustainable employment opportunities. He said the government had therefore prioritised vocational training alongside conventional university education to promote self-reliance among young people.

Mr Maiyaki said the administration was also revitalising Panteka Market through road infrastructure, an ICT centre, clinic, and power and fire service facilities. He described Panteka as Africa’s largest skill fabrication market, attracting between 38,000 and 40,000 people daily.

On agriculture, Maiyaki said the Kaduna Peace Model had helped recover more than 500,000 hectares of farmland previously controlled by bandits and criminals. He said the development enabled farmers to return to their farms while schools and healthcare facilities in affected communities also reopened.

According to him, agriculture contributes about 42 per cent to Kaduna’s GDP, while about 60 per cent of the state’s farmers engage in agricultural activities.

He said agricultural activities had increased significantly over the past two years following improved security and the return of farmers to previously inaccessible farmlands.

Mr Maiyaki said the government increased agricultural funding from N1.48 billion in 2023 to about N22 billion in 2024, N74 billion in 2025 and over N100 billion in 2026. He said the government distributed more than 500 trucks of fertiliser to 150,000 smallholder farmers in 2026.

The commissioner said the government also provided irrigation pumps and tractors to promote dry-season farming and mechanised agriculture. He said Kaduna remained the leading producer of maize and tomatoes, second in soybean production and among Africa’s leading ginger-producing areas.

Mr Maiyaki said the recovery of farmlands, improved infrastructure and agricultural interventions had contributed to increased food production and lower prices. He said maize prices had dropped from more than N100,000 per bag to between N28,000 and N29,000 in markets such as Giwa and Saminaka.

The commissioner said the government recruited and trained about 1,000 forest guards to strengthen community-based security and protect reclaimed farmlands. He said the Kaduna Peace Model involved traditional institutions, religious leaders, youth groups and community vigilance structures.

Mr Maiyaki said early warning mechanisms had helped communities identify and respond to threats before they escalated into major security challenges. He said the government’s interventions in education, skills development, agriculture and security were designed to improve livelihoods and promote sustainable development across Kaduna.

(NAN)