Unemployment: Centre brings succour to youths in Kano

In its efforts to reduce unemployment among youths in Kano, SOTEC Foundation and Skills Acquisition Centre has trained about 200 youths on tailoring services in the state. The beneficiaries, Kano Chronicle observed, comprised indigenes and non-indigenes of the state.  Located along Bama Road, Sabon-Gari area Kano, the centre was founded in 2005 by Comrade Sunday […]

In its efforts to reduce unemployment among youths in Kano, SOTEC Foundation and Skills Acquisition Centre has trained about 200 youths on tailoring services in the state.

The beneficiaries, Kano Chronicle observed, comprised indigenes and non-indigenes of the state. 

Located along Bama Road, Sabon-Gari area Kano, the centre was founded in 2005 by Comrade Sunday Ani Bashir. 

A recent visit to the centre by our reporters indicated that it has the capacity of accommodating 10 youths at a time. 

During the visit, our reporters met five members of National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) doing their one year mandatory national service at the centre.

Kano Chronicle also learnt that the centre has graduated hundreds of youths in its 12 years of existence. 

It was gathered that what a prospective trainee requires was a sum of N1000 to buy admission form and get enrolled for the free training.

The centre is offering equal opportunity to all applicants irrespective of their religion or ethnic backgrounds, as the trainees cut across religious and ethnic devides. 

Speaking to our reporters, the proprietor of the centre, Comrade Sunday Ani Bashir, said, the foundation was established in 2005 with the aim of empowering youths through free skills acquisition in tailoring and passion design.

Bashir explained that hundreds of youths who graduated from the centre had already established their personal fashion design outfits across the state.

“At the moment, our products are doing very well in their fashion design outfits,” he said.
However, he appealed to Kano state government to assist the centre, noting that his plan was to expand it to accommodate as many youths as possible.

“I will be happy if the state government through the directorate of youths empowerment and economic development will consider SOTEC among the centres that will partake in its empowerment activities,” he said.

A serving corps member at the centre, Faiza Mukhtar said she heard about the training through a radio jingle that a non-governmental centre was providing sewing skills to youths free of charge.

“I joined the centre because I have passion for tailoring services and so far I have learnt a lot. The skills will assist me in becoming self-reliant,” she said.

Aliyu  Bashir Muhammad Gama another trainee at the centre, said the scheme had helped him a lot in the pursuance of his education, noting that “Apart from thriving in the art of tailoring, I am taking care of my parents and my financial needs from the proceeds of the business.”

Gama appealed to unemployed youths in the state to desist from the habits of idleness or waiting for a white cola jobs, saying that it would be better for them to join the tailoring business than being engaged in other miscreant activities.

Adamu Mahmuda, a graduate of the centre, said he started as a trainee at the centre before he was later employed as a staff. 

He said he joined the centre when his school was closed as result of a  strike and ever since he had not regretted his decision.

Obinna Nelly Chiamaka, another corps member serving at the centre, said she had chosen the centre as a place for primary assignment in order to learn fashion and interior design.

“I have benefitted a lot because I can now sew perfectly. After the training I intend to set up my own fashion business with the little funds in my possession,” she said.