The Plateau State Government has presented starter packs to 153 young people trained under the first batch of the Plateau Youth Employment and Skills Acquisition (PLAYESA) programme, reaffirming its commitment to equipping youths with practical, income-generating skills.
The programme is designed to reach 250 beneficiaries across the state.
The graduation and distribution ceremony, held at the Federal Youth Centre in Jos, followed a two-week intensive training in fashion design, leather works, and ICT. Beneficiaries received industrial sewing machines, HP touchscreen laptops, and seed capital to launch their enterprises.
Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Musa Ashoms, hailed the initiative as a bold move to give Plateau youths a fair chance to succeed.
“I feel elated. Like every responsible Plateau citizen, I’m proud that we have a responsible and responsive governor who has made youth empowerment a priority. I’m especially happy that youths are now being given a place in governance. And for those who aren’t directly involved in governance, they are being empowered with skills. This is a practical way of delivering the dividends of democracy,” Ashoms said.
He explained that the 153 beneficiaries were drawn from all 17 local government areas, including both indigenes and long-term residents.
“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. Initially, we planned to train 150, but due to high demand from various LGAs, we stretched the capacity. Today, we are graduating 153 from this batch,” he added.
The commissioner also highlighted other youth-focused initiatives introduced by the administration, such as the deployment of 1,000 youths to BARC Farms, leadership exposure programmes at the National Defence College and NIPSS, and a proposed ₦4 billion loan scheme—₦2 billion from a partner bank and ₦2 billion in counterpart funding—to support youth-led businesses.
On accountability, Ashoms said the government deliberately partnered with a federal training facility with a proven track record, and involved parents of participants to strengthen community oversight. He warned that beneficiaries who attempt to sell their starter packs risk losing them.
In her remarks, Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mrs. Deborah Simon Pitmang, praised the Plateau Government for fully utilising the Federal Youth Centre in Jos, describing PLAYESA as the most viable programme in the North Central zone.
“In the North Central zone, there are centres in Benue, Kwara, Niger, and here in Plateau. But the most viable of all of them is the one we have here. This is the very first time Plateau has fully utilized the Federal Youth Centre in Jos,” she said.
She urged the beneficiaries to form cooperative business clusters to build resilience and attract more customers.
“One key counsel we gave them is to form clusters. For example, if you are in fashion design, form groups of four, five, or ten and run a shop together. By the time you have ten industrial machines, you will attract customers,” she advised.
Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Peter Daboer described the programme as transformative.
“We were trained in structured bag-making, digital literacy, and sewing. This programme has rekindled our dreams and given us the confidence to pursue our goals and contribute to Plateau’s growth,” he said.
PLAYESA is one of several youth-targeted interventions of the Mutfwang administration aimed at building a skilled, self-reliant generation capable of contributing to the socio-economic development of Plateau State.
