Vice President Kashim Shettima has flagged off the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) community empowerment initiative in science, technology, skills acquisition and renewable energy for youths and women in Kano State.
The programme, which seeks to equip beneficiaries with practical skills for entrepreneurship and employment creation, was launched in Kano on Saturday, as part of efforts to drive human capital development and innovation.
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The vice president, represented by his Personal Assistant on Sub-national Infrastructure, Musaddiq Adamu, said the initiative reflects the federal government’s commitment under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to empower young Nigerians.
Adamu said the programme is designed to create opportunities for youths who require support to transform their ideas and talents into productive ventures.
“Today, NASENI is opening one of those doors. Every young person here must walk through it with everything they have,” he said.
He described youths as critical drivers of national development, stressing that empowering them with relevant skills was essential to building a productive economy.
The vice president’s representative commended NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Halilu, for repositioning the agency through technology-driven interventions and community empowerment programmes.
Earlier, Halilu said the NASENI community empowerment initiative is aimed at investing in people through science, technology and skills acquisition.
He said the agency believes Nigeria’s greatest asset is the talent and potential of its citizens, adding that sustainable industrialisation can only be achieved when people are equipped with the right skills.
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“Real industrialisation begins with skilled people. We do more than build technology; we build the people who will create it, use it, improve it and commercialise it,” Halilu said.
He explained that Kano was selected for the programme due to its historical role as a centre of commerce, manufacturing and entrepreneurship.
According to him, beneficiaries would receive training in renewable energy installation, welding and fabrication, mobile phone hardware repairs, food processing and packaging, among other areas.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, who was represented at the event, said the initiative aligned with the tederal government’s commitment to job creation, poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth.
Akume urged participants to maximise the opportunity and use the skills acquired to improve their livelihoods and contribute to national development.
