Mohammed Haruna Bello (9News Nigeria Yobe)
The Yobe State Government, in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNI), has trained, graduated and empowered 300 members of the Volunteer Security Outfit (VSO).
The members of the VSO, which includes men and women received the training at the Comprehensive Skills Acquisition Center as part of efforts to strengthen community security and promote sustainable livelihoods.
The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Office of the State Security Adviser (SSA), initiated and coordinated the programmes to reflect the government’s strategy of empowering community-based security volunteers with practical, market-ready skills that enhance resilience and support a peaceful, stable economy.
The five sustainable vocational skills programmes comprise 128 Solar Installation trainees, 90 Charcoal Briquette Production trainees, Painting and Plaster of Paris (POP), 22 Interlock Brick Production and 10 Aluminium Pot Fabrication.
The Executive Secretary of the SEMA, Dr. Mohammed Goje, emphasized that the government’s investment in skills acquisition is central to building long-term, sustainable, and self-reliant empowerment aimed at eradicating abject poverty.
“Skills acquisition is a gateway to empowerment, dignity and economic independence. While these volunteers continue to safeguard their communities, they now posses lifelong trades that strengthen household income, reduce dependency, and contribute meaningfully to community development,” he said.
According to Dr. Goje, this initiative aligns with the government’s efforts to foster peace, enhance human capital, and ensure that those who sacrifice daily to protect communities are empowered with opportunities for economic advancement.
