There was excitement across Kaduna State this week as 4,050 graduates of the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development (KIVTSD) began receiving ₦200,000 each in start-up grants to enable them establish businesses and put their newly acquired skills to work.
The disbursement, which amounts to about ₦810 million, is part of Governor Uba Sani’s effort to support vocational training graduates with the capital needed to become self-employed and contribute to the state’s economy.
For many of the beneficiaries, the payment alerts were more than financial assistance; they were evidence that the government had fulfilled its promise.
Dorathy David Nuhu, who emerged as the best graduating student from the Catering and Hospitality Department, said she was ready to begin her catering business after receiving the grant.
“This is a fulfilment of His Excellency Governor Uba Sani’s promise. I have received my ₦200,000 and I am ready to start my catering business. We thank the Governor for believing in us,” she said.
Abubakar Yahuza, a graduate of the Computer/ICT Department, said the grant would benefit his entire family.
“This money will not only help me, it will help my entire family. We appreciate the Governor and I assure him of the vote of my family in the 2027 elections,” he stated.
Maryam Mohammed, who trained in Painting and POP, said the money would enable her to buy materials and start her business.
“Governor Uba Sani has come to our aid. This ₦200,000 start-up grant will help me buy materials and start my business. May God bless him,” she said.
Shamsiya Adamu, who said she was among the first beneficiaries to receive the payment alert, also thanked the governor for the intervention.
“I thank Senator Uba Sani for empowering us. We will give him our full support towards his re-election,” she pledged.
For Zainab Abubakar Sadiq, the grant has already translated into a business investment. She said she used her ₦200,000 to purchase a sewing machine and other items required to begin operations.
“I have used my ₦200,000 to purchase a sewing machine and other items required for my business. I am ready for business and I thank the Kaduna State Government,” she said.
Aisha Ahmed Mohammed, another graduate of the Catering Department, described the intervention as significant to the beneficiaries.
“This assistance from Governor Uba Sani means a lot to us. My vote and that of my people is for the Governor,” she said.
The commencement of the disbursement marks a major step in the administration’s plan to reduce unemployment, tackle insecurity and stimulate economic activity by combining vocational skills with access to start-up capital.
Residents have described the programme as the first of its kind in Nigeria, directly linking skills acquisition with financial support so that graduates can move from training into productive businesses instead of unemployment.
With KIVTSD operating across three campuses, the Kaduna State Government says the initiative is positioning the state not only as Nigeria’s skills hub but also as a major skills-development centre for the African region.
