Borno trains 37,000 youths to fight insecurity

The Borno State Government said on Sunday that it trained 37,000
youths in various trades to fight the current security challenges
facing the state.
Hajiya Zainab Gimba, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and
Youth Empowerment in Borno State, announced this to the News Agency of
Nigeria in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Gimba explained that the training was carried out under the skill
acquisition programme of the ministry.
“Some of the beneficiaries were trained in the state while others were
sent to other states or even abroad for the training,” she said.
Gimba said the objective was to engage the youths in meaningful
ventures and prevent them from joining bad groups.
She said: “We sent 50 youths on training in Thailand on integrated farming.
“We also trained 100 youths at the Sabore Farm, Yola, in agriculture;
we also sent 80 for training at the Katsina Craft Village in Katsina.”
Gimba said that 500 youths were also trained at the Songhai Farms in
Benin Republic on agriculture.
She said several others were trained in poultry and fishery businesses
within the state.
Gimba, however, said that a large chunk of the beneficiaries were
trained in interlock blocks making being used to beautify the state
capital and construction of roads.
She said that the state government was also collaborating with the
Millennium Development Goals office to implement a conditional cash
transfer to 2,337 poor households in the state.
She said: “We are collaborating with the MDG to begin immediate cash
transfer to 2,337 poor households in five local government areas of
the state.
“The households are located in Kaga, Nganzai, Gubio, Guzamala and Magumeri.”
Gimba said that each of the beneficiaries would receive N5,000 cash
under the scheme, adding: “The programme is aimed at fast tracking
development in health and education sectors.
“This is because the benefiting households will be encouraged to enrol
their children in school as well as access health care facilities.”