The Katsina State Government has unveiled a National Talent Hunt Challenge to showcase innovations and create new opportunities for the teaming youths in Nigeria.
At the ceremony in Abuja, the Katsina State Governor Alhaji Bello Aminu Masari called on the people of the state to invest in human capital for national growth.
The Katsina National Talent Hunt is designed to create opportunities for youths across the country to check youth restiveness and unemployment.
The National coordinator of the project, Mallam Faisal Rafindadi said the project is categorized into four as follows:
- Building Architecture and Design
- Information Communication Technology, ICT Development
- Fashion and Traditional Outfit
- Automotive Design and Development
The talent hunt is aimed at identifying and giving opportunities to young men and women who have ideas but have no means to express these ideas.
According to the State Governor, some of them do not even have the benefit of going to western education while some have very limited educational foundation but are very talented. Some only attended Islamic Schools while some are just dropouts due to circumstances.
“we hope that after the talent hunt, successful innovators will get both government and private sponsorship from investors.”
Significance and Objectives of the Katsina National Talent Hunt
- To Identify youths with Talents
- Opportunity to explore and broaden youth’s horizon
- Creating an enabling environment to develop talent
- Leadership Discovery and Development
- Reduce Over reliance on Government through Entrepreneurial and Self Employment Opportunities
- Fast-track the made in Nigeria campaign of the Federal Government.
On the Automotive aspect of the program, the Governor noted that the talent hunt automotive discovery, aims at connecting the youth and investors in innovative techniques and technology of the automobile industry given the increasing growth in population and increasing demands for more ecofriendly means of transportation.
The Governor pointed out that while some talent hunts targets individuals and reward them monetarily, the Katsina National Talent Hunt opens up windows and doors for talented youths to get startup investments for their ideas, noting that the program has widened participation and not limited to a particular trade or class of the youths.
The Governor also stated that to ensure sustainability selected participants would be assisted with startups and further skill acquisition and entrepreneurship training through partnership with some training institutes in the State.
Eligibility for Katsina National Talent Hunt
The Katsina National Talent Hunt Challenge is open to Nigerians resident in Nigeria, in the diaspora and even foreigners in Nigeria.
Applicant must be a youth between the ages of 12-40 years.
However, employees of the Katsina National Talent Hunt, affiliates, subsidiaries, distributors, suppliers, agents, representatives, advertising, promotional or judging agencies and their immediate family members and those living in the same household, or persons working on this project are not eligible to participate.
How to Apply for Katsina National Talent Hunt
To register, applicant should fill out all the necessary information and spaces on the online registration form at https://katsinanationaltalenthuntchallenge.org/registration/
Upload Project Design in any of JPEG, PNG formats. Photo file size must not be more than 500kb.
Application Closing Date
All entries must be submitted on or before 8th February, 2022.