Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State.

The Millennium Africa Global Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has trained 850 youths and women on various skills in Niger, its Coordinator, Mr Marshal Okoro, said in Minna on Friday.

Okoro, in a speech at the graduation ceremony of the second batch of 500 trainees, said that the first batch of 350 trainees graduated in May 2018, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

“Today, we are graduating the second batch of 500 youths and women who received two months intensive training in various skills and trades,’’ he said.

According to him, the trainees acquired skills in computer repairs and operation, catering, tailoring, shoe and bag making, cosmetology and business management.

He said that the programme was targeting 2,000 youths and women per year, adding that the beneficiaries were being prepared for self-employment that would make them employers of labour.

The coordinator appealed to governments at all levels and corporate bodies to assist the NGO to enable it train more people in Minna, Bida and Suleja.

Earlier, Alhaji Danjuma Sallau, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, had said that government would soon establish skill acquisition centres in Minna, to train youths and women to be self-reliant, instead of searching for white collar jobs.

Sallau lauded the efforts of the group, saying that the gesture would complement government’s efforts toward job creation and checking indolence among youths.

Hajiya Amina Mohammed, a beneficiary, who spoke on behalf of the trainees, promised that the skills would be effectively utilised to improve the lots of their families and the society.

“I thank God that I have developed new ideas to manage my husband’s business and make new cloths for my children,’’ she said.