The Kano State Government has signed a 20-year agreement with Aliko Dangote Group for the management of the Aliko Dangote Vocational Training Centre.

Formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the agreement is aimed at addressing years of declining operations at the centre, which had limited its capacity to provide vocational training and support young people seeking alternatives to formal employment.

The centre was established by the immediate past government to equip young people with practical skills for employment and self-reliance.

Signing on behalf of the state yesterday, Secretary to the Kano State Government, Umar Ibrahim, explained that the decision to entrust the management of the facility to Dangote was driven by the need for the centre to become functional again and deliver on its purpose.

He stressed that the ownership of the facility remains with the Kano State Government, while the businessman and his representatives would manage it under the 20-year arrangement.

According to him, the central objective remains the restoration of the centre to its original purpose and ensuring that young people who pass through the facility leave with practical skills that can translate into jobs, businesses and sustainable livelihoods.

The arrangement, he added, is intended to provide the centre with the management structure, resources and operational capacity required to resume full-scale vocational training.

The government said the arrangement was designed to ensure management and development continuity, rather than leaving the facility vulnerable to recurring operational challenges.

It expressed hope that the partnership would ultimately produce a new generation of skilled young people who can participate more effectively in the state’s economy and reduce dependence on scarce formal employment opportunities.

Speaking on behalf of the Aliko Dangote Group, Sunusi Abdulkadir said the conglomerate appreciated the Kano Government’s decision to hand over the facility for restoration. He stressed that the revival plan was pertinent to strengthen vocational training programmes to afford young people the practical skills that can improve their economic prospects.