Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to training 1,000 youths annually in various skills acquisition as a step towards enhancing human capital development.

This initiative is designed to equip participants with industry – relevant skills, thereby enhancing their employability and contributing to the State’s human capital development.

Implemented in collaboration with the Nigeria – Korea Friendship Institute for Vocational and Advanced Technology (NKFI), the training programme is aimed at providing young people the necessary skills to meet industry demands.

The ultimate goal is to train a minimum of 1,000 youths in high -demand vocational skills by 2027, positioning Kogi as a centre of technical expertise and innovation.

He reiterated this pledge at the weekend during the graduation ceremony of 250 youths who completed various skills acquisition programmes under the Ododo Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (OYESA), adding that his administration’s commitment is to nurture a skilled workforce to drive the State’s economic growth.

The governor equally stated that a State with a pool of highly skilled technical personnel is well -positioned for industrial advancement.

The first 250 participants were drawn from 21 Local Government Areas and they underwent training in nine specialised fields, including automotive mechatronics, welding and fabrication, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion, networking and system security, software development, solar power installation, cinematography and photography, plumbing, and fittings.