Katsina Graduates 634 Youths, Distributes Starter Packs In Billion-Naira Empowerment Drive

In a momentous leap for youth empowerment, the Katsina State Government has graduated 634 trainees from its Youth Craft Village (KYCV), equipping each with trade-specific starter packs worth a collective sum running into billions of naira.

Governor Dikko Radda, speaking at the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, hailed the event as a “defining moment” in the state’s march toward inclusive growth, job creation, and youth-led innovation. Though the exact value of the starter packs was not revealed, officials emphasized the unprecedented scale of the gesture.

“This is not just a ceremony,” Radda stated. “It’s a testament to our belief in education, skills, and opportunity as tools of transformation.”

He outlined far-reaching reforms that have repositioned KYCV as a Centre of Excellence in Technical and Vocational Education, benchmarked against global institutions such as SENAI in Brazil, and accredited under the National Skills Qualification Framework and ISO standards.

Highlights of the KYCV transformation include:

A sustainability framework and business plan

Modern, industry-compliant equipment upgrades

• Alumni engagement and monitoring systems

• Community-based partnerships with women’s centers, furniture programs, and processing hubs

• Plans to add ten new departments and upgrade existing facilities

The Governor emphasized that the starter packs are not handouts, but tools for change. To prevent misuse, the government has instituted accountability measures including legal agreements with beneficiaries’ families and involvement of security agencies.

“Anyone found selling their kit will face appropriate consequences,” Radda warned, urging the graduates to go forth as “ambassadors of hope, problem solvers, and job creators.”

Former Governor Ibrahim Shema, the brain behind KYCV’s creation in 2009, attended the event and commended Radda for continuing the legacy. He recalled a proud moment in 2013, when students at the Craft Village built a working remote-control generator from scratch.

“Today is the fulfillment of a grand vision,” Shema said. “It began with the belief that our youth are not a burden but a boundless well of potential.”

The graduates leave with skills in areas ranging from tailoring and GSM repair to welding, photography, and generator maintenance. The village has now trained youths from all 34 LGAs of the state since inception.