By Abdulmumin Murtala, Kano
Governors of the North-West zone have been called upon to sponsor youths at the newly commissioned learning centre of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NIIT) in Kano as a way of fighting the insecurity bedeviling the zone.
The call was made by the minister of state for transport, Senator Gbemisola Saraki while commissioning the Kano outreach learning centre of the NIIT at Dawakin Kudu LGA on Thursday.
She also said that the skill acquisition opportunity should go beyond providing employment for the youth and empowering them with knowledge, but should also provide the necessary equipments for them after their graduations.
“I wish to call on state governments to support the youth in their respective states to enrol at the centre, and after graduating, to assist them with the facilities needed to set up their businesses.
“This will also provide a means by which insecurity could be reduced in the zone” she stated.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of NIIT, Bayero Saliva Farah said the learning centre was brought to Kano because the state occupies the position of the economic hub of Northern Nigeria.
“And since transportation is the catalyst for economic and social development, it is expected that those manning the transport system should be properly trained to effectively meet the mobility needs of the travelling public,” he said.
He also said that the large numbers of unemployed youths in the Northwest zone in particular will grossly benefit from the skills acquisition courses offered at the centre.
The Kano state governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who was represented by his deputy, Nasir Gawuna, promised to support the centre for the benefits to be derived by the various development programs of the state government adding that the state government will sponsor youths for the skill acquisition programs of the centre.
He called on others governors in the region to borrow a leaf from Kano state by prioritizing skill acquisition programs and provision of start off kits for youths in their states.
Vanguard News Nigeria
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