By joshua NASENI Empowers 120 Youths In Lokoja With Electrical Skills, Starter Packs
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has concluded training for 120 youths in Lokoja, Kogi State, on modern electrical installation and maintenance to promote technical skills, self-reliance and employment.
The training, held under the agency’s Skill Acquisition Training and Youth Empowerment (SATYE) Programme, ended on Friday at Reveton Hotel, Lokoja, with beneficiaries receiving starter packs containing electrical tools and N50,000 cash support each.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, represented by the Coordinating Director, Finance and Accounts, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Dauda, said the programme was designed to equip young Nigerians with practical skills for sustainable livelihoods.
He said the initiative reflects NASENI’s commitment to taking science, technology and engineering to communities through practical training and empowerment.
According to him, the 120 participants are now equipped to meet the growing demand for skilled electrical personnel in the building and construction industry, driven by expansion of residential, commercial and public infrastructure across the country.
“Today, we are celebrating more than the successful completion of another NASENI training programme. We are celebrating 120 Nigerians who are leaving here with practical skills that will become livelihoods, businesses and sources of economic independence,” Halilu said.
He noted that the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at expanding economic opportunities, strengthening human capital and building a productive and inclusive economy.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the starter packs as tools for transformation and to remain committed to excellence.
In his remarks, the Maigari of Lokoja and Chairman, Lokoja Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Gambo Kabir Maikarfi IV, commended NASENI for bringing professional training and economic opportunities directly to Lokoja.
The monarch described the intervention as unprecedented since the creation of Kogi State in 1991 in terms of improving the technical skills of electricians in the area, stressing that technical and vocational education remains critical to addressing unemployment.
He charged the beneficiaries to see the completion of the programme as the beginning of continuous professional development and to demonstrate the value of the investment through hard work, discipline and responsible conduct.
“You are NASENI ambassadors,” he told them.
The empowerment package included screwdrivers, multimeters, spanners, electric and battery-powered screwing machines, drilling machines, torque wrenches, hammers, saws, measuring tapes, pliers and cable cutters, to enable the trainees to start offering installation and maintenance services immediately.