The Jigawa State Government has launched an empowerment programme that will benefit 2,000 people across the state, with a special focus on youths, women, and persons with disabilities.
The initiative, organised in partnership with 9JaFoodFiesta and the Office of the First Lady, provides free training in information and communication technology, culinary arts, fashion design, and agriculture, particularly fishery and poultry farming. Beneficiaries are also being exposed to entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to start and sustain small businesses.
Officials explained that the programme was designed to remove financial barriers and ensure that vulnerable groups have equal access to opportunities. By providing hands-on training at no cost, the government hopes to drive self-reliance and create a new generation of entrepreneurs who can stimulate grassroots economic development.
The state has in recent times rolled out a series of empowerment initiatives to tackle poverty and unemployment. In 2024, more than 12,000 rural women received financial grants under the JCARES Women Economic Empowerment Programme, while persons with disabilities and vulnerable farmers were supported through targeted funding and agricultural inputs.
With the launch of the new programme, Jigawa authorities say the focus remains on building human capital and expanding the role of small businesses as engines of inclusive growth.
