Yobe launches six-month skills training for 200 Almajiri graduates
In a bid to curb youth unemployment and promote self-reliance, the Yobe State Government has launched a six-month skills acquisition programme for 200 Almajiri graduates. The initiative, implemented through the
In a bid to curb youth unemployment and promote self-reliance, the Yobe State Government has launched a six-month skills acquisition programme for 200 Almajiri graduates.
The initiative, implemented through the Arabic and Islamic Education Board (AISEB), forms part of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s broader strategy to integrate vocational education into the Tsangaya system and equip young people with practical, income-generating skills.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Executive Secretary of AISEB, Sheikh Umar Abubakar, said the 2026 Almajiri/Tsangaya Graduate Training Programme was carefully designed to empower beneficiaries with relevant competencies for today’s economy.
He explained that participants would receive training in diverse vocational fields, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT), carpentry and woodwork, catering and hospitality for female participants, electrical and solar installation, tailoring and fashion design, welding and fabrication, plumbing and pipe fitting, as well as agriculture and agro-processing.
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“This initiative underscores Governor Mai Mala Buni’s deliberate commitment to empowering young people with relevant skills to foster self-reliance and address poverty, youth restiveness, and insecurity in the state,” Abubakar said.
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He commended the governor’s sustained investment in the transformation of Arabic and Islamic education, describing him as the “father of modern AISEB.”
Highlighting the board’s achievements, the AISEB boss disclosed that 35 Tsangaya and Qur’anic graduates had secured foreign scholarships to study at Al-Azhar University in Egypt.
He added that an Al-Azhar-affiliated primary and junior secondary school had been established in Damaturu, staffed by six Egyptian teachers.
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According to him, no fewer than 2,500 Tsangaya graduates have been enrolled into the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, thereby improving their access to healthcare services. He further revealed that the board constructed 20 sanitation facilities and renovated 30 others across Tsangaya schools in the state’s 17 local government areas.
Abubakar assured that beneficiaries of the new programme would be provided with accommodation, three meals daily, medical care, and close supervision throughout the training period. They will also receive lessons in Arabic and English to enhance their communication skills. A monitoring committee, he added, has been constituted to ensure effective implementation and track participants’ progress.
In his remarks, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Dr. Ibrahim Bello Bashir, noted that Yobe ranks among the leading states in Nigeria with a high number of Qur’an memorizers.
He challenged the narrative that Tsangaya students are out-of-school children, stressing that “skills are the global currency of today.”
Bashir further disclosed that the training covers between eight and 15 trades aligned with National Occupational Standards (NOS) Levels 1–5, with plans to engage an assessment body for certification.
One of the beneficiaries, Modu Muhammad, expressed appreciation to the state government for the opportunity.
“This is my first time in an environment like this. I am very excited to have this opportunity, and I will do my best to learn,” he said.
The event, held at the Multi-purpose Hall of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, was attended by top government officials, Islamic scholars, and other key stakeholders.
