Not fewer than 100 youths selected across the LGAs that make up the Bauchi South Senatorial District have commenced a 4-day skills acquisition training on solar photovoltaic installation and maintenance.
The programme was sponsored by the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Umar Buba, who said that the aim is to equip the trainees for self-employment and reliance.
Speaking during the commencement of the training in Bauchi on Friday, Engr Musa Idi, one of the programme coordinators, said that the training, which was conceived two months ago, has the beneficiaries selected across the seven Local Government Areas the Senator represents.
He said that the gesture was to relieve some of the burdens occasioned by the present economic hardship on the selected trainees and make them self-reliant as well as employers of labour.
According to him, the trainees were people who have little knowledge of electrical installation, and they would be trained on solar photovoltaic system installation and maintenance.
He added that they would also be trained on how to install inverters at homes, offices, streetlights, and others.
According to him, “Because of the high rate of unemployment, the senator wants to make them self-reliant so that they can sustain themselves.”
He added, “There are impressive starter packs as tool kits that have been bought by the Senator, and they can be used not only for solar installations but also for electrical and other installations.”
“This will enable them to put what they have learned into practice and become self-reliant and employers of labour,” he said.
Also, Mohammed Gwaza, another programme coordinator, said that the mandate was to empower the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to harness the abundant energy of the sun.
He explained that solar power is not just about photovoltaic panels and inverters; it represents a pathway to sustainable development, economic growth, and environmental stewardship.
Mohammed Gwaza urged the beneficiaries to listen attentively and make good use of the training as well as the kits to become financially emancipated.
One of the beneficiaries, Tijani Tilde from Toro Local Government Area, expressed his gratitude to God for being selected as one of the beneficiaries of the training.
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He said, “If we can get people or our representatives that can perform the way this man is performing, I believe before the end of this tenure, there would be more progress and tranquility in the country.”
“When you talk of poverty, people say that the Northeast is the region where poverty is more pronounced, but I think with this kind of programme, this perception would be discarded,” he said.
Also, Abdulahi Garba, another beneficiary from Bauchi Local Government, said that the training was a life-changing one that provided an opportunity for the youth to become self-sustaining and financially stable.
He urged other fellow participants to be focused, make good use of whatever they learned, and make effective use of the kits that would be given without selling them off.
