Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged the Sokoto State Government to partner with bodies such as the Sokoto Professional Network (SPN) to address the pervasive issue of youth unemployment.
Speaking through the District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Jabbi, at a capacity‑building workshop organized by SPN under the theme “Public Speaking, Report Writing, and Presentation Skills,” the Sultan pledged that traditional institutions in the state would lend their support. He noted that Sokoto’s 87 district heads, 465 village heads, and more than 6,000 ward heads would play active roles in mobilizing communities to confront unemployment and related social ills.
The Sultan emphasized that relying heavily on white‑collar jobs was unsustainable. Instead, he advocated for reviving traditional skills, such as farming and entrepreneurship, as strategic measures to reduce crime and restiveness among youth. He also praised SPN for their training and mentorship work, and thanked the Board of Trustees Chairman, Zayyanu Yabo, for promoting capacity development efforts.
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At the event, represented by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Isa Maishanu, the state government declared the workshop open. He urged participants to embrace self‑employment, noting that entrepreneurship and digital skills are essential for the future of work.
Yabo recounted the achievements of SPN in the past five years, including training over 1,000 youths in areas such as solar installation, entrepreneurship, and career guidance. According to the report, the state is also preparing to recruit youths across its 23 local government areas into the civil service, as part of a broader strategy to mitigate youth unrest and social vices linked to joblessness.
