The commissioner of business innovation and technology, Patience Fakai, says the three skills acquisition cities initiated by Governor Uba Sani’s administration will be ready for inauguration in the first quarter of 2025.

Mr Fakai disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday when she, alongside the managing director of the Kaduna State Roads Agency, Abdullahi Baba, inspected the ongoing project at Rigachikun, Igabi LGA.

She said, “We are here as a team to look at the project here, which is the construction of the skills acquisition city. When the governor came on board, he decided to build three skills acquisition cities across the state, one in each of the three Senatorial zones, in the state. One in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf.

“This project has been ongoing. We are here to see and have an update, to see how far the construction work has been, and we have come here and have seen a lot of progress. The work is almost done.”

According to her, the project is at about 85 per cent completion.

Ms Fakai Mr Sani wanted to bridge the gap in skills.

”We have a skills gap in the state and we are trying to address that. In These Skills City, our youth will be provided with 13 different skills,” she stated.

Mr Fakai explained that, in the next two years, they should be able to upscale over 4,000 youths in the state with different skills.

She added, “Youths without skills will be given new skills, while some have skills, like the artisans in the Panteka market, but they don’t have certifications. I believe with these skills in cities, most of these artisans come and get the certifications with which they can get deployment within and outside the country.”

(NAN)