By Bashir Bello, Abuja
Presidential Aide Abdulazeez Inspects Rigachikun Institute, Says 14 Trade Areas Will Produce Job-Ready Youths, Cut Poverty
The Presidency has described the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development, Rigachikun, as a “monumental achievement” and a direct answer to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call for governors to execute people-centered projects.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Communication and Citizen Engagement, Abdulazeez Abdulazeez, stated this on Thursday during an inspection tour of the state-of-the-art institute initiated and completed by Governor Uba Sani.
The facility is designed to train youths across 14 trade areas and produce self-reliant professionals to drive the state’s economy.
While touring the departments and Workshops including Mechatronics, Fashion Design and Tailoring, Welding, and ICT, Abdulazeez interacted with instructors and learners undergoing intensive training.
He said the Institute aligns perfectly with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Tinubu, which prioritizes skills acquisition, job creation, and poverty reduction.
“This development is a great achievement for Governor Uba Sani. It is exactly in line with the request of President Bola Tinubu for all governors to execute projects that would directly benefit the people,” Abdulazeez said.
According to him Kaduna State appears to understand this reality and has chosen to confront it directly. The importance of this initiative cannot be overstated, he pointed out that Kaduna has historically occupied a strategic position in Nigeria’s industrial development.
He commended the governor for establishing the institute, noting that it would not only improve the economy of Kaduna State but also create thousands of jobs and lift families out of poverty.
Instructors from the Mechatronics, Fashion Design, and other departments demonstrated how the modern equipment works and explained the curriculum structure designed to make graduates industry-ready.
Some learners who spoke during the visit also commended Governor Sani, saying the institute has given them hope of becoming self-reliant.
“This place will go a long way in making us self-reliant. Instead of waiting for white collar jobs, we are being trained to create jobs and employ others. This will reduce poverty in our state,” one of the trainees, Ahmed Hussaini Balarabe said.
In an interview, the Provost of the Institute, Alhaji Husaini Haruna Muhammed, thanked the presidential team for the visit.
He said the institute has been mandated to empower youths across the three senatorial zones from Rigachikun to Soba and Samarun Kataf in Kaduna State it is on track to graduate thousands skilled graduates yearly inorder to reduce unemployment and youth restiveness by promoting entrepreneurship and job creation.
“We are committed to achieving the target set by Governor Uba Sani. Our goal is to produce skilled manpower that will benefit not just Kaduna State, but the nation at large,” the Provost assured.
He added that the institute’s mandate directly supports the governor’s vision of transforming Kaduna State into a hub for vocational excellence and industrial growth.
The Institute offers training in 14+ trades, including Welding and Fabrication, Carpentry, Painting and POP, Fashion Design, Solar Installation, Electrical Works, Automotive Mechatronics, ICT, Artificial Intelligence, Tiling, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning among others.
The visit by the Presidency is seen as a major endorsement of Governor Sani’s human capital development strategy and his administration’s efforts to domesticate federal government policies at the state level.
