By: Babagana Bukar Wakil, Maiduguri
Borno State is advancing its post insurgency recovery with a major investment in youth empowerment, turning former targets of extremist recruitment into drivers of peace and economic transformation.
This shift was the focus of a high level briefing in Maiduguri on the Youth Employment and Skills Acquisition Programme, a collaborative initiative involving the Peace Ambassadors Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Empowerment Initiative (PACHE), the British Council, and the Borno State Ministry of Information and Internal Security.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Alhaji Tar, said the initiative reflects a new strategy of replacing the tools of conflict with the tools of enterprise.
“Our mission is to transform youth from seekers of scarce government jobs into architects of their own economic destiny,” he said. “A degree alone is no longer a guaranteed ticket to employment. We are equipping young people with the entrepreneurial skills needed to build opportunity and strengthen long term stability.”
Tar noted that economic deprivation has historically fueled violence. “Where opportunity vanishes, extremism gains ground,” he warned. “By supporting dignified livelihoods, we dismantle the attraction of violence and reinforce peace.”
He praised the programme’s alignment with the Borno 25 Year Development Plan, describing it as both a peacebuilding strategy and an investment in future prosperity.
Ambassador Ahmed Shehu, President of PACHE, said the programme seeks to rebuild youth confidence and capability after years of disruption caused by insurgency. He highlighted soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, ethics, teamwork, and professional conduct as essential for success in today’s workplace.
“A university degree does not teach punctuality or how to present oneself professionally,” Shehu noted. “Bridging these gaps is central to our intervention.”
The demand for the initiative underscores its importance: more than 700 youths applied for just 25 available slots, a limitation driven solely by funding. The partners are now calling on donors and philanthropic actors to help scale the programme. Already, 14 graduates from the previous batch have secured employment.
Government officials and media leaders at the event reaffirmed their support for expanding opportunities for young people. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education emphasized that empowerment remains key to sustainable livelihoods, while the Director of the Guidance and Counselling Board noted that schools are upgrading curricula to meet skills acquisition needs.
General Manager of Dandal Kura Radio International, Malam Habu Ahmad, urged participants to fully embrace the training and pledged continued media support under the Ministry of Information.
The programme, themed “Strengthening Youth Initiatives for Reintegration and Sustainable Peace in Borno State,” aims to cultivate a new generation of peacebuilders equipped to drive development with skills, not arms.
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