Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma has launched the Nasarawa State Programme for Economic Empowerment with a promise to train 1500 unskilled and semi-skilled youths in the first quarter of 2009.

The Governor also announced that contracts totalling N934million has been awarded for the upgrade of facilities and supply of equipment to the vocational and relevant Technology institutions responsible for the training.

 The Governor stated that the programme is aimed at, among other things, strengthening the skills base of the State, employment generation, poverty reduction and value re-orientation. According to the Governor, the programme will lift the youths and women of Nasarawa State, above the poverty level and ensure that they become major players in the economy of the state and the country at large.

The programme which is to be managed by a Bureau for Economic Empowerment, is divided into three directorates, viz, Directorate for Skills Acquisition which is responsible for the training of various categories of unskilled and semi-skilled youths for self-employment, as well as retooling them for specific needs of the manpower market. There is also the Directorate of Business Development which will serve as the storehouse for business ideas.  This directorate will teach the women and youths the art of starting and succeeding in business. Finally, there is the Directorate of Small and Medium Enterprises which will provide a platform for accessing capital to promising business and commercial initiatives to establish small and medium scale ventures in the State.

 The launched was held at the Lafia City Hall.