Plateau Seeks ₦2bn To Boost Youth Skills And Entrepreneurship

The Plateau State Government has announced plans to inject ₦2 billion into its Youth Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition (PLAYESA) for Wealth programme, aimed at equipping young people with practical training in ICT, fashion, and leatherworks.

Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Musa Ashom, disclosed this at the flag-off of the latest batch of PLAYESA training, organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, at the National Youth Centre, Shere Hills, Jos.

Ashom said the supplementary budget request, once approved by the state House of Assembly, would strengthen the government’s youth empowerment drive and position Plateau as a hub for digital technology and the creative economy.

“This training is to help young people acquire employable skills, because not everyone can get white-collar jobs,” he said. “In this batch, we have 150 participants, and another 100 will soon join, making it 250 trainees from all 17 local government areas of Plateau State.”

According to him, the initiative will expose youths to trades such as ICT, fashion design, shoemaking, and bag production — sectors he described as proven pathways to wealth creation.

Highlighting government support, Ashom revealed that the Joseph Gomwalk House has been donated to serve as an ICT centre, while the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy is currently laying 30km of fibre optic cables in the state. “Plateau is on course to become an ICT hub, and our youths must take full advantage,” he added.

Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Deborah Simon Pitmang, emphasised that the training is strictly practical under the Skills for Wealth scheme. “The focus is ICT, fashion design, and leather works. This is not ‘skills for WhatsApp.’ Participants will receive start-up kits to help them build sustainable livelihoods, not to sell them for quick cash,” she said.

Some trainees described the programme as a life-changing opportunity, especially for its hands-on approach and provision of equipment. One ICT trainee said the initiative would “boost digital exposure” and provide a foundation for building careers in technology, while participants in fashion and leatherworks expressed optimism about supporting their families through entrepreneurship.

The PLAYESA programme, launched under Governor Caleb Mutfwang, is designed to empower youths across Plateau’s 17 LGAs with entrepreneurial and vocational skills, as part of wider efforts to tackle unemployment and create wealth.