The Youth Employability and Skills Project (YESP) targeting 3400 young people in Kano Jigawa and Sokoto States was launched on Monday in Kano.
Yaba College of Technology is implementing the project in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) with support from UNICEF and the European Union.
The launch held at Niimah Guest Palace Kano featured stakeholder consultations and skills validation for the 30 selected Local Government Areas with 10 local government councils per state.
The Rector of YABATECH Dr. Engr. Ibraheem A. Abdul said YESP is a strategic response to the need to equip young people with market-relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
He said YABATECH is currently training about 18000 youths nationwide across its centres in Epe Ikeja and Yaba through its ICT Skills Hub and Digital Technology Academy which offer courses in Computer Hardware Mobile Phone Repair AI Machine Learning Data Analytics Software Development Cloud Computing Cybersecurity and Blockchain.
He cited the college’s experience in the Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) where 200 girls received start-up toolkits and 94 beneficiaries earned NSQF Level 2 certificates in 2025 adding that the new UNICEF grant extension with ITF has strengthened skills training delivery in the North.
YESP Coordinator Dr. Funmilayo Doherty said Kano will have 1200 beneficiaries while Jigawa and Sokoto will have 1100 each.
She listed the skill areas as Solar PV Installation and Maintenance; Climate-Smart Poultry and Micro-Livestock Production; Agro-Processing and Solar Drying; Economic Tree Production; Briquette and Clean-Energy Production; Waste Recycling and Upcycling; Climate-Smart Irrigation; Compost Production; and Computer Hardware Maintenance and GSM Repair.
Doherty said the project will not impose skills on communities noting that the validation exercise will align training with local market demand and enterprise opportunities.
‘Our question should be practical: After completing the training how will a young person use this skill to earn a sustainable livelihood?’ she said.
She said training will align with National Occupational Standards and the National Skills Qualification Framework with emphasis on gender-responsive teaching safeguarding and competency-based assessment. Beneficiaries will earn NSQ Level 2 certification and YABATECH completion certificates.
She added that Community Entrepreneurship Hubs will be established in the three states for post-training mentorship and enterprise support.
UNICEF in its remarks said the project demonstrates shared commitment to investing in young people as drivers of economic growth with a focus on young women and vulnerable youths.
‘Through YESP 3400 young people will gain market-relevant digital green technical and entrepreneurial skills and support to transition from learning to earning’ it said urging private sector collaboration for internships apprenticeships and jobs.
The event was attended by the Chief of the UNICEF Kano Field Office the Executive Secretary of NBTE the Zonal Director of ITF Commissioners from the three states traditional leaders training providers and youth groups.