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The Plateau State Government, under the administration of Governor Caleb Muftwang, has set aside ₦2 billion in its supplementary budget to strengthen youth empowerment initiatives, particularly in skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development in the state, Musa Ashoms, revealed this on Monday during the launch of a fresh batch of trainees under the Plateau Youth Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition programme, held in Lamingo, Jos North Local Government Area. The scheme is being implemented in collaboration with the Federal Government’s Skills for Wealth initiative.
According to Ashoms, the earmarked funds will be channeled into training and support across key sectors such as agribusiness, information and communication technology, ICT, and the creative economy. He explained that the investment reflects Plateau State’s commitment to youth development and its ambition to become a rising hub for digital innovation and enterprise.
“As a Ministry, we have requested the House of Assembly to approve ₦2 billion for youth empowerment across sectors. In ICT, for instance, we want Plateau to become a hub.
“That’s why Governor Caleb Mutfwang has donated the Joseph Gomwalk House as an ICT centre, while the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy has committed to laying 30km of fibre optic cables across the state,” Ashoms said.
He explained that 250 youths from the state’s 17 LGAs will benefit from the current training, which covers ICT, fashion design, leatherwork, shoemaking, and bag production. The one-month programme will run in two batches between September 1 and 30, 2025.
Ashoms stressed that the government was deliberate about empowering young people for wealth creation, describing the initiative as intentional and strategic.
The Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Deborah Pitmang, added that the training was strictly focused on skills acquisition, with beneficiaries expected to receive start-up kits after completion.
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