The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has said that no fewer than 16,200 jobs will be provided in the state by successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

He reiterated the government's commitment towards employment generation through skill acquisition and human capital development.

According to him, the successor electricity companies have promised to generate the employment opportunities for skilled technical manpower within the next five years.

He added that the companies already have an immediate requirement of 8,400 technical manpower in generation, transmission and distribution companies.

Ahmed who was represented by the Secretary to the Kwara State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold spoke in Ilorin on Tuesday on the sidelines of the presentation of admission letters to 15 Kwara State youths.

According to him, the youths are part of the 500 beneficiaries of graduate skills development programme under the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria.

The Governor said he had approved N20m to sponsor the training programme of the youth from the state.

He stated that the 15 graduates were selected from the three Senatorial districts of the state for the one-year programme.

Ahmed said the programme was intended to position the beneficiaries for employment in the power sector.

He added that there were currently great employment opportunities in the sector.

He also noted the importance of training, manpower development, and provision of appropriate technologies, conducive work place and adoption of best practises to achieving higher productivity.

Ahmed said, "We have given the beneficiaries adequate support to be comfortable in that programme. We will be monitoring them to ensure they are successful in the programme.

"We believe when people go to school and pass very well, we should not allow them to roam the streets. "In line with the state government's youth empowerment programme, we will continue to look for available jobs at the federal and state levels to fix our people. This is what we have been doing since the inception of this administration."

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Empowerment, Alhaji Saka Babatunde, said Ahmed had also approved the training of non-graduates in the institute for skills acquisition.