Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has approved the Katsina Youth Craft Village as a certified National Skills Qualifications (NSQ) Training provider.
This was contained in a letter signed by the NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, and addressed to the Coordinator of the Youth Craft Village, Mr. Kabir Abdullahi.
With this approval, the Katsina Youth Craft Village is authorized to train and certify young Nigerians in a variety of vocational trades such as automobile mechanics, carpentry and joinery, computer hardware maintenance and repairs, plumbing and welding.
Other vocational skills that would be provided by the centre include cosmetology, hospitality and catering, garment making, leather work, masonry, phone repairs and maintenance, photography and cinematography and satellite installation and maintenance.
The approval takes effect from June 24, 2025, but the centre is expected to operate within the guidelines of the Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and register with relevant awarding bodies for each of the approved trades.
Reacting to the development, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda described it as a bold step towards equipping young people with hands-on skills and unlocking economic opportunity at the grassroots.
Radda, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, said: 鈥淭his recognition is a proud moment for Katsina. It affirms our commitment to skills development and paves the way for a more self-reliant generation of youth.鈥
On his part, the Coordinator of the Katsina Youth Craft Village, Abdullahi, described the certification of the centre by NBTE as a historic leap forward in line with Governor Radda鈥檚 vision of empowering Katsina鈥檚 youth with practical skills for self-reliance and job creation.
鈥淭his is more than just a certification鈥攊t鈥檚 a doorway to opportunity. With this, young men and women across Katsina now have access to hands-on training that鈥檚 nationally recognized and truly transformative,鈥 the coordinator added.