Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
The Aliko Dangote Foundation has expanded its interventions in Northern Nigeria after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kano State Government to take over the management of the Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre in the state.
Under the agreement, the Foundation will manage the multi-million-naira facility for a number of years and run programmes aimed at equipping young people with technical, digital and industrial skills.
The Kano deal comes at the same time the Foundation has completed a similar centre in Ganaja, Kogi State, which is slated for commissioning.
Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Kano-Jigawa Branch, Muhammad Bello Isyaku Umar, described the intervention as “far-reaching and impactful” and said skills acquisition remains one of the most effective ways of addressing youth unemployment in the country.
“Programmes such as the Aliko Dangote Skill Acquisition Centre can equip young people with practical skills that enable them to become entrepreneurs, artisans or employees. The emphasis should increasingly be on modern technical, digital and industrial skills,” he said.
Umar noted that Kano remained the economic and commercial hub of northern Nigeria adding that the overall impact of the foundation interventions in the region has been broad-based.
“From healthcare and education to women empowerment, water and poverty alleviation, the Foundation has touched many aspects of people’s lives. What is particularly commendable is that these interventions complement government programmes while directly addressing the needs of vulnerable communities,” he said.
He disclosed that MAN has also been a beneficiary of annual sponsorship from Dangote Industries Limited, which he said demonstrates a strong commitment to Nigerian manufacturing and strengthens collaboration among indigenous manufacturers, government and major industrial investors.
Managing Director of Radio Kano, Abubakar Adamu, also described the takeover of the skills centre as the single most “strategically important areas of partnership for Kano’s future.”
He said Kano’s huge youthful population cannot rely only on conventional government jobs and that young people need skills that correspond to actual market demand.