The Society for Family Health (SFH) says skills acquisition can improve health outcomes by strengthening livelihoods, resilience and access to healthcare.
The SFH Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr Omokhude Idogho, made the statement on Friday in Kaduna at the inauguration of a three-month skills acquisition programme for 65 vulnerable women, adolescents and young people across Kaduna State.
The programme is organised by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in collaboration with SFH, with support from ViiV Healthcare Positive Action.
Idogho, represented by Dr Aisha Dadi, SFH Project Director of the Pediatrics, Adolescent and Women Programme, said economic empowerment and health outcomes were deeply connected, as people with sustainable livelihoods were more likely to prioritise their wellbeing.
She said skills acquisition should therefore be viewed beyond employment, describing it as an important public health intervention capable of building resilience and restoring hope.
“When we equip young people and women with practical, marketable skills, we are not simply teaching them a trade,” she said.
She added that beneficiaries would gain the confidence and capability to earn livelihoods, support their families and make informed decisions, including those concerning their health.
According to her, financial stability could encourage people to seek healthcare when necessary, adhere to treatment and remain engaged with health systems.
Dadi said the 65 beneficiaries were selected across Kaduna’s three senatorial zones and would receive intensive practical training at various centres.
She urged the beneficiaries to attend every training session, ask questions, practise diligently and regard themselves as architects of their futures.
The SFH official said the programme was designed to provide more than skills, stressing that it sought to promote dignity, opportunity, financial independence and healthier lives.
She commended the NDE and other partners for supporting initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between vulnerability, economic exclusion and improved health outcomes.
Representing the NDE Director-General, Mr Silas Agara, the Kaduna State Coordinator, Mr Ambianto Francis, said unemployment remained a global challenge requiring innovative approaches.
Francis said the partnership reflected the shared vision of the NDE and SFH to create opportunities through practical skills that could enable beneficiaries to generate wealth.
He said the 65 participants were drawn from seven local government areas and urged them to treat the training as a rare opportunity.
He advised the beneficiaries to take the training seriously, respect their trainers and acquire knowledge that could enable them to establish businesses and support their families.
Francis said skills could provide sustainable livelihoods even where formal employment opportunities remained limited, urging participants to use their hands and knowledge productively.
“Skill acquisition is a path to greatness, whether you have a degree or not,” he said, stressing that practical competence could open doors to economic independence.
He urged beneficiaries to become ambassadors of the programme by applying their skills successfully and eventually helping others acquire similar competencies.
Representing the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, Zainab Shehu commended SFH, the NDE, facilitators and other stakeholders for empowering women and young people.
She said practical and entrepreneurial skills were essential for building confidence, promoting self-reliance and creating opportunities that could contribute to improved wellbeing.
She encouraged participants to actively engage in the training and explore ways of transforming their knowledge and talents into sustainable opportunities.
Representing the Kaduna State AIDS Control Agency (KADSACA), Ramatu Garba described the programme as a significant opportunity for participants to acquire skills capable of transforming their economic circumstances.
Garba urged the beneficiaries not to take the opportunity for granted, noting that skills acquisition had become increasingly important in helping young people build independent livelihoods.
She appealed to trainers to patiently nurture participants while maintaining discipline and ensuring that the three-month programme produced measurable results.
Garba said Kaduna State should strive to emerge among the best-performing beneficiaries of the initiative, urging trainees to become good ambassadors.
The skills offered under the programme include catering, fashion design, knitting, digital marketing and shoe making, among others.
