Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has said the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV) recorded major milestones in 2026, positioning the state as one of Nigeria’s leading centres for technical and vocational education and skills development.
In a message to commemorate the 2026 World Youth Skills Day, the governor said skills acquisition remains the foundation for economic growth, noting that this year’s theme, “Skills for a Shared Future,” underscores the need to equip young people with technical, digital, green and social skills required in a rapidly changing world.
According to him, 40 instructors at the Katsina Youth Craft Village were trained and certified as Quality Assurance Assessors this year, while five former Community Skills Development Centres (COSDEC) received approval from the Federal Ministry of Education as recognised skills training centres under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
Governor Radda also disclosed that the village had developed training manuals for 29 vocational trades in line with the National Skills Qualification Framework and National Occupational Standards, an achievement he said earned commendation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
“The Executive Secretary of NBTE described the manuals as a model that other institutions can adopt. This means our graduates will be trained to the same standard as graduates anywhere in the country,” he said.
The governor explained that the state had adopted competency-based training to ensure trainees acquire practical skills through hands-on learning rather than relying solely on classroom instruction.
“Too many graduates cannot do the jobs they were trained for. We are changing that in Katsina. Our young people train on real equipment, learn real skills and graduate ready to work,” Radda said.
He added that KYCV had established an Innovation Department where trainees engage in research, product development and digital fabrication, while the state had also entered into a partnership with Maglush Electric Vehicles to build local capacity in electric vehicle technology.
On employment, the governor said his administration was strengthening entrepreneurship and partnerships with government agencies and the private sector to create job opportunities for graduates.
“Training is good, but young people need jobs. That is why we are pushing entrepreneurship and working with government agencies and private organisations to create pathways for our graduates,” he said.
Radda disclosed that thousands of young people are currently receiving training in various vocational trades across the three campuses of the Katsina Youth Craft Village and its five affiliated skills training centres.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising skills development as a strategy for producing globally competitive, self-reliant youths capable of driving industrialisation and sustainable economic development in Katsina State.
