From Abel Leonard, Lafia
•Gov. Sule presenting cheque to one of the graduates
Nasarawa State Government has provided N500,000 each to the 50 first class graduates of the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA), as working capital. The event took place at the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute (WCAIVTI), Lafia.
•Graduates at the event
It was combined graduation of the First Class graduates and 95 trainees under Nasarawa State Skills Empowerment Programme (NASSEP). Governor Abdullahi Sule emphasised the shift from being employees to becoming employers:
“I was moved by some of the confessions of the first class graduates of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, who said some of them have decided not to work as civil servants anymore. They will take the working capital to start businesses. We are not going to be employees but employers.”
He NASSEP was “designed to equip youths with vocational skills, received commendation for its contribution to reducing unemployment and enhancing economic development.”
The governor reiterated his commitment “to creating an enabling environment for youth empowerment and skills development.” He emphasised the transformative potential of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth and urged graduates to leverage their training and capital to pursue innovative business ventures.
Executive Director, WCAIVTI, Dr. Daniel Asele, said: “Governor Sule’s visionary approach to youth empowerment through skills acquisition reflects a proactive strategy to address socio-economic challenges and promote self-reliance.
“By providing seed capital to graduates and supporting vocational training programmes, the government aims to cultivate a generation of skilled entrepreneurs poised to contribute meaningfully to the state’s prosperity.”