Nasarawa Government Accord Impetus To Compulsory Entrepreneurship Education In Tertiary Institutions

Rabiu Omaku

Piqued with  the rising spate of unemployment  in  Nasarawa state, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has directed all heads of state owned tertiary institutions to accord premise to enterprenuership education, He gave the indication during the formal public presentation and launch of the document on Youth development and Reproductive Health Needs in Nasarawa State organized by the Nigeria Academy of Science.

” Government appreciates the Nigeria Academy of Science and the Ford Foundation for the survey and eventual launch of the book in Nasarawa state, We are happy that Nasarawa State is one of your project implementation states in the country “.

Governor Al-Makura averred that government is working to ensure that entrepreneurship is made compulsory in all Nasarawa state owned tertiary institutions, He assured the gathering that sky would be the starting point In the next four years of his administration, Saying the incumbent regime intends equipping of all Nasarawa schools with science laboratory and equipment as well as install computers to facilitate teaching and learning.

The Governor reiterated that he would pay special attention to the provision of reproductive health services and adequate information on sexuality education, adding that recently Mobile Clinic vans were procured and use for the provision of quality health services, particularly women and youths in the state.

“In line with our development agenda of probity and due process as a deliberate policy to inculcate discipline and self reliance among our youths, nonetheless, government has noted recommendations made in the document to be launch”.

Realizing the importance of youths to the development of our state, The Governor said government has been able to equipped the four Skills Acquisition Centers located in Doma, Wamba, Nasarawa and Lafia, The state government has also signed a Technical Agreement with the Singaporean government with a view to provide technical equipments and further enhance the quality of training of women and youths in various skills that will snowball into industrial development.

“So far, these centres have been able to train and graduated a number of youths who have since been empowered with the needed resources for self actualization”.

Al-Makura buttressed that the choice of  Nasarawa and Ekiti  states  which shared common identity having been created the same date and are usually the last on the Federation Account Allocation table. This has reflected in the efforts by various administrations to bring about development in order to catch up with other states of the federation.

The Governor asserted that result of the finding has further demonstrated that the Incidences of poverty and under development are hinged to this low level of revenue accruing to states in the federation, however, we are happy to state that following prudent management of scarce resources, Nasarawa State has been able to reverse this ugly trend in the last four years of this administration.

While given the breakdown of the achievements recorded under his reign to include the construction of   model primary and junior secondary schools which have been adequately equipped with manpower and instructional materials for teaching and learning.

“Government has also been able to address the issue of poor school enrolment and retention with the introduction of free feeding and tuition in all primary and secondary schools. We have also built and commissioned e-libraries in the state to boost learning in this ICT age”.

“We have intensified efforts to address low level of enrolment and retention through the provision of adequate support for the girl child education. This has yielded gainful result as most girls have continued to indicate interest in school rather than hawking and other forms of activities that has no direct bearings to their growth and development”. The stated.

The Governor opined that empowering the physically impaired in the state became necessary,” government has built special Schools for various category of physically challenged in the three senatorial districts in the state, Said Governor Al-Makura.