Governor Uba Sani presides over the maiden graduation of 4,050 trainees from the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development, approving ₦200,000 each ₦810 million total, to launch their careers.
Rigachikun, Kaduna State — August 27, 2026
Governor Uba Sani presided over the maiden graduation ceremony of the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development (KIVTSD) on Thursday, marking the completion of training for 4,050 trainees across 14 trade disciplines, and announced a ₦810 million package to support their transition into the workforce.
The ceremony took place at the Institute's Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa Campus in Rigachikun, Igabi LGA, and drew a high-profile turnout including Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa, Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, Minister of Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, NBTE Executive Secretary Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaje, and the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli.
Governor Sani announced that each of the 4,050 graduates would receive ₦200,000, administered through the Kaduna State Enterprise Development Agency (KADENDA), to help cover essential tools, working capital, professional registration fees, or transport costs while seeking employment.
He said the state is simultaneously engaging companies and industries to create direct employment, apprenticeship, internship, and mentorship opportunities for the graduates.
Graduates were trained across trades including electrical installation, welding and fabrication, aluminium fabrication, computer hardware repair, catering and hospitality, masonry, refrigeration and air conditioning, fashion design, carpentry, painting and decoration, tiling, plumbing, solar installation, and automotive mechatronics.
Sani described the training model as deliberately practical, complemented by literacy, numeracy, entrepreneurship, and soft-skills instruction, with the Institute also designed to support participation from women and persons with disabilities.
Sani noted that Vice President Kashim Shettima and the National Council on Skills have held up the "Kaduna Model" as a template for grassroots skills acquisition nationwide. He also highlighted that a KIVTSD trainee, Ibrahim Abubakar Jikamshi, won first place in welding and was named Overall Best Artisan of the Year at the 6th National Construction Artisans Award in Abuja in February 2026.
The Institute, which operates three campuses, Rigachikun, Soba, and Samaru Kataf, was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025 and is targeting roughly 32,000 graduates annually once fully scaled.
Sani thanked Tinubu for his continued support, describing the President's commissioning of the Institute as an affirmation of Kaduna's young people and the state's commitment to turning their potential into productive capacity.
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