He recalled that during the era of the Sokoto Caliphate, Almajiri pupils were supported by the state and taught various trades alongside their Islamic education, and called for a return to that model through collaboration between the Craft Village and the Islamic School Board in Katsina State.
Bugaje also urged the Craft Village to expand its scope beyond the current 22 trade areas and to consider training artisans for specialised roles required in major infrastructure projects, including the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, the proposed Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, and the Mambilla hydroelectric power project, all of which he said would require tens of thousands of skilled workers in the coming years.
He commended the state government for merging various skills programmes under the Katsina Youth Craft Village to ensure better coordination, and expressed optimism that the initiative would continue to grow under the current administration.
The NBTE Executive Secretary, who is an indigene of Katsina State, said he looked forward to attending the forthcoming graduation ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the trainees and the state’s continued investment in technical and vocational education.
