Mr. Bashar Aliyu-Buhari, Special Adviser to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has distributed vocational tools to 300 youths in Kebbi State.
The beneficiaries, who were trained for three months, six months, and one year respectively, received skills in catering, bakery, embroidery, electrical wiring, phone repairs, sewing, tailoring, welding, painting, POP, furniture making, make-up, and other vocations.
Speaking at the distribution ceremony held in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday, Aliyu-Buhari disclosed that this was not the first youth empowerment programme he had championed in the state on behalf of the minister.
He said: “They say seeing is believing. I am sure you have seen for yourselves how these youths came out en masse in solidarity with this empowerment programme and their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris.
“This is not a political gathering; it is a programme to celebrate our youths who have been trained in various vocational skills.
“All of us can see the massive turnout of youths. They were happy and jubilating, which shows their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Nasir Idris.”
Aliyu-Buhari noted that Sen. Atiku Bagudu meant well for the people of Kebbi and Nigeria at large, adding that the empowerment initiative was part of the minister’s continuous support for vulnerable groups.
“Sen. Atiku Bagudu is a national asset. What he has been doing in Kebbi extends to the entire nation and even the international community. Just recently, he returned from Vienna where he represented Nigeria at the Hydrogen Summit.
“This is just a fraction of what he has been doing as Minister of Budget and Economic Planning. He is championing many initiatives aimed at national development, with several projects ongoing in Kebbi and across Nigeria.
“That is why Kebbi is the first state in Northern Nigeria where people are openly supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With the minister’s hard work, we are confident of massive votes for President Tinubu and Governor Nasir Idris in Kebbi,” he said.
Aliyu-Buhari appealed to the beneficiaries to use the tools judiciously and become employers of labor.
In his remarks, the Project Manager of the Empowerment Programme, Mr. Ibrahim Ngaski, confirmed that this was not the first empowerment exercise by the special adviser, stressing that he places high importance on human capital development.
“This empowerment is for the 2025 graduates, and we hope to empower another set of graduates in 2026 with different working tools,” he said.
Earlier, the District Head of Dutsinmari, Bello Marafa, advised the beneficiaries to make good use of the tools and resist any temptation to sell them.
The ceremony was attended by both male and female graduates from various Local Government Areas of Kebbi State.
