The Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, has directed the Kwara Ethnix Design (Nig.) Limited, a company jointly owned by the state government and a South Africa-based venture, Ethnix Design, to initiate a youth training programme on modern furniture work as part of efforts to boost the state government's youth entrepreneurship programme.

Ahmed gave this directive when the Chairman of Kwara Ethnix Design (Nig.) Limited, Issy Penniken, and the management team paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Ilorin.

Ahmed said given the fact that Kwara Ethnix Design is a major player in furniture work in Africa, the youths of the state could benefit immensely from the experiences of the company in that sector of the economy.

According to Ahmed, beyond working as apprentices, the initiative will ensure that youths are trained as entrepreneurs in furniture business thus enabling them contribute to the economy of the state.

The governor was also of the view that the initiative will help in driving furniture revolution, especially in helping the youths to be actively engaged. Penniken said Nigerians should be proud of Nigeria by patronizing local industries and locally produced goods.

In a related development, Ahmed has promised to put necessary infrastructure in place to attract more investments and industrial growth to the State. Ahmed said this at the inauguration of an Automobile Battery Assembly Plant, Forgo Battery Limited, in Ilorin.

He added that the Industrialisation policies of the state government have started attracting investors to the state as well as the transformation of the state from a predominantly civil service state to a growing industrial hub.

On his part, the Chairman of Forgo Batteries Limited, Joseph Offorjama, said it was due to the investment friendly position of the Ahmed administration that the industrial plant was established in the state to boost employment opportunities.