Plateau State Government Empowers 153 Youths with Starter Packs
The Plateau State Government has presented starter packs to 153 young people trained under the Plateau Youth Employment and Skills Acquisition (PLAYESA) program.
The beneficiaries received industrial sewing machines, HP touchscreen laptops, and seed capital to launch their enterprises after undergoing a two-week intensive training in fashion design, leather works, and ICT.
Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Musa Ashoms, described the initiative as a bold step toward giving young people a chance to thrive.
“You must understand the pressure we faced—there are thousands of youths out there. Training 250 out of so many is not easy.
It’s a privilege, and those selected should not take it for granted,” he said.
According to Ashoms, another batch of youths will commence training soon, and over 1,000 youths are undergoing training on farming at the BARC Farm.
Additionally, 250 youths recently graduated from the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Shere Hills. The state government has earmarked ₦2 billion in a supplementary budget as counterpart funding for a partnership that will provide ₦4 billion in loans to support youth-led businesses.
Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mrs. Deborah Pitmang, praised the Plateau State Government for fully utilizing the Federal Youth Centre in Jos, describing the program as the most viable in the North Central zone.
The event was attended by government officials, including Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Development, Hitler Pwajok, Permanent Secretary and Directors from the Ministry, and Leader of Jos North Legislative Arm, Hon. Job Ayuba Izang.
