In a bid to tackle youth unemployment and promote self-reliance, a non-governmental organisation, EI’s Empowerment Foundation, in collaboration with ASB Data and other partners, has empowered 1,000 students of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria with practical vocational and digital skills.
Speaking during the official launch of the initiative on campus, the foundation’s coordinator, Malam Musa Aliyu, said the programme is designed to equip both male and female students with hands-on business knowledge and startup resources to help them transition from school into entrepreneurship.
“This initiative supports the government’s Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programme,” Aliyu stated.
“With over 300 tertiary institutions producing around 600,000 graduates annually — and only about 6,000 securing government jobs — it is clear we need to give students practical skills they can immediately use after graduation.”
He added that beneficiaries would be trained in digital technology, modern baking, shower gel production, and other small-scale enterprises. Many participants, he said, would receive starter packs and undergo three months of monitoring to track their progress and ensure the programme’s success.
Aliyu also noted the foundation’s commitment to supporting female students through menstrual hygiene initiatives.
“As part of this project, we are distributing free sanitary pads to female students. This helps promote menstrual hygiene and ease a burden many young women silently bear,” he said.
One of the programme’s key collaborators, Alhaji Abubakar Barde, CEO of ASB Data, urged students to embrace digital entrepreneurship.
“In today’s digital economy, students can start profitable businesses with just their smartphones and as little as ₦10,000,” Barde said.
“Opportunities abound in areas like data reselling, online services, and digital communications.”
Dr. Mohammed Kabir, Rector of the Polytechnic — represented by Malam Umar Hassan, Director of the School of Management Studies — commended the initiative for providing real value to students.
“This intervention directly addresses the root causes of poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Empowering students as entrepreneurs paves the way for long-term peace and development,” he said.
The programme is expected to serve as a model for other institutions and NGOs seeking to promote youth empowerment, gender awareness, and inclusive economic growth across Nigeria and beyond.
