The Kano State Government has reiterated its commitment to the fight against drug abuse among women and youths in the state.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Zahra’u Muhammad-Umar, said this on Saturday at the graduation ceremony of trained and reformed drug-dependent youths at the Kano Reformatory Institute in Kiru Local Government Area (LGA)

“We want to ensure that we reduce drug addiction and create employment in a way to keep them out of drugs and engage them meaningfully,” she said.

Muhammad-Umar said that 21 youths, including 20 males and one female were reformed and trained on various entrepreneurship skills to become self-reliant.

“If they are left without empowerment, they will go back to drug taking,” she said.

She said that they were counselled on effects of drug abuse before undergoing recreational, entrepreneurship classes and other relevant knowledge to make them useful to society.

“Parents of each reformed person paid N70,000 for feeding and drugs per month.

“The state government takes care of other bills and staff allowances, among others,” Muhammad-Umar said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the graduands were trained on shoe-making, carpentry, poultry and sewing.

They were given sewing machines, carpentry tools, shoes and bags materials, chickens, cages, welding machines and N20,000 each for transportation.

The Chairman of the LGA, Alhaji Muntari Kafin-Maiyaki, said that the institute had reformed thousands of youths since its inception.

According to him, the establishment of the institute has uplifted the standard of living of the people by curtailing drug abuse and unemployment in the area
Kafin-Maiyaki urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the materials.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Aliyu Muhammad, thanked the government for the kind gesture.

Muhammad promised that they would rededicate themselves to the skills learnt at the institute.