The MoU was signed by the representatives of the Kogi Government, NDE as well as the NKFI, at the office of the Secretary to the State Government in Lokoja on Saturday.

In her remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr (Mrs) Folashade Ayoade, thanked Gov. Yahaya Bello for making the welfare of youths in the state a major cardinal project of his administration.

Ayoade also  commended the World Bank and other partnering agencies for the support given to the state, while urging the beneficiaries to take proper advantage of the life changing opportunity.

She also urged the Institute to render quality service for the state and Nigeria.

The state Coordinator of Youth Employment and Social Support Operations (YESSO), Mr Noah Alilu, said that the MoU would enable the institute to train 1, 050 youths on vocational and technical skills.

According to Alilu, the training is a step up from other trainings YESSO had done in the state, and NKFI being one of the best institution in West African, was selected to execute the training fully sponsored by World Bank.

He said that 50 youths would be selected from each of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state for the training, noting that the beneficiaries were the poor and vulnerable youths captured by the team of YESSO into the Single Register (SG) domiciled with the World Bank.

He added that the beneficiaries would also get monthly stipend for the nine-month period to be paid by the world bank, adding that the trainees would be given starter kits in their various chosen skills.

The coordinator said that the beneficiaries were entitled to learn any skill of their choice ranging from automobile, tailoring, electronics, fishery, makeup, and livestock; basically hand works.

On his part, the Director General of NDE, Mr Nasir Ladan, who was represented by the state coordinator NDE, Mr Zakari Abubakar, thanked the state government, World Bank and YESSO for their quest to eradicate poverty among Kogi youths.

Ladan assured that the facilities at NKFI had been adequately supervised and promised ensure regular monitoring of the success of the training from time to time.

The principal of NKFI, Mr Okewu Arome, assured that the institute was fully ready to deliver quality services to the trainees, saying, ”facilities and instructors needed are on ground”.k