1,169 Katsina Mechatronics Apprentices Graduate, 331 Abandon Training

•Govt empowers graduates with starter packs

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Government has trained and empowered 1,169 apprentices with starter packs under its Mechatronics Apparenticeship Support Programme (MASP), while 331 others dropped out before the completion of the one-year training.

A total of 1,500 apprentices were initially enrolled by the state government into the MASP through the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) in collaboration with the Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association (NATA).

But Governor Dikko Umaru Radda while addressing the graduates on Monday at the graduation ceremony held at the People’s Square, said 331 enrollees out of the 1,500 abandoned the apprenticeship programme.

“The successful completion of this one-year apprenticeship programme is a remarkable achievement and a clear testament to the seriousness, endurance, and commitment of the participants because 1,500 started the programme, but those who are able to graduate are 1,169. The unserious ones have dropped”, he said.

He, however, said the training focused on modern mechatronics and automobile technical services, equipping participants with relevant skills required to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven labour market.

He explained that the state government had rolled out various starter packs to support the 1,169 trainees’ transition into entrepreneurship and gainful employment.

He noted that beyond training, the distribution of starter packs was designed to address a common challenge faced by graduates of skills acquisition programmes—lack of tools to begin practice.

Radda said the programme is not only a major achievement for the beneficiaries and their families, but a strong statement of the success and seriousness of his administration in confronting unemployment through practical and scalable solutions.

He urged the graduates to utilize the opportunity to become self-reliant and job creators, stressing that technical skills remain a viable pathway to economic independence.

“These tools are foundations upon which you can build your own businesses, establish your own workshops, support your families, and contribute meaningfully to society”, he added.

The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to sustaining investments in vocational training, entrepreneurship development and youth empowerment as part of efforts to reduce poverty and strengthen the local economy.

Earlier, the Director General of KASEDA, Dr Babangida Kabir Ruma, said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to practical, people-centred development driven by skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.

He disclosed that the intervention was designed not only to impart technical knowledge but also to bridge the gap between training and real economic participation.

He added that the programme was conceived to equip young people with relevant marketable skills, particularly in the evolving automobile and technical services sector where modern technology now demands advanced competencies.

He stressed that the tools provided are meant to serve as a foundation for enterprise development, enabling beneficiaries to establish workshops, generate income, and contribute to the local economy.