The Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in the Savannah region has received its first batch of tools and equipment under the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP), on Friday 20 February 2026.
In a welcome address by Mr. Kipo Isaac the NAP district coordinator, mentioned that the presentation of the NAP tools and equipment to the master trainers under the National Apprenticeship Program of the National Youth Authority.
The National Apprenticeship Program is about empowering the youth with practical skills for sustainable livelihood.
This initiative demonstrate government commitment to reduce unemployment and promote entrepreneurship in the district.
A speech delivered by Mr. Bawah Mubarik, the Savannah regional NAP coordinator, stated that this was a campaign promise by president John Dramani Mahama.
Mr. Mubarik emphasize that this program is to enhance and also enable the youth to become skillful to move from the unemployment bracket to become employerble in other district.
Last year April we launched the NAP program in Tamale at the UDS campus and subsequently we carefully selected some master crafts persons across the Savanah region to Damongo the capital of region to give the a refresher training to equip them with the requsit knowledge to be able to train our youth to become skillful.
We have piloted this program by selecting a few people to kick start and see how the program will run, and so 6 master crafts persons across the 7 district of the Savannah region to kick start the program.
The Savannah regional NAP coordinator also urged master craft persons supervising the apprentices to uphold standards and expand their training capacity using the newly supplied equipment.
He warned beneficiaries against selling the equipment, describing the items as business start-up capital. “These tools are not for sale. They are your foundation and your capital,” he said.
“We will be selecting the second phase of the beneficiaries in April for you to kick start so that those who have applied and have not yet been selected will be selected, and so I don’t want anybody to go home and be accusing the DCE, NAP coordinator or the party chairman that they have selected people that they know, it’s not like that”.
Speaking at the ceremony, the DCE for Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Hon. Saaka Sinkina noted that it is a fact that this is one of the the programs that will go along way to equip the youth of Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district with skills that would make them hard working in to the various field areas to produce goods and services to fit the district.
This machines are of high quality and no master crafts persons can use the machines as his or her personal property, so you cannot sell the machines.
Once you are a beneficiary you cannot abundan the work and go back to your parents to help them on their farms during raining season, you cannot be carrying the machines home, it is not your personal property and so it is the property of the shop.
Mr. Dramani Ibrahim, a beneficiary speaking on behalf of his colleagues thanked the NDC government for support and also promise to use the tools and equipments for their right purpose.
Source:Diwura Abdul Fataw
