Nasarawa Government Expends N350 million On the Importation of Technical Training Equipment from Singapore

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Rabiu Omaku

The government of Nasarawa state irked by the rising spate of unemployment amongst it’s teeming youths in the State has imported technical training equipment from Singapore worth N350m, governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura gave the disclosure during the twentieth year anniversary of Nasarawa state.

Al-Makura pointed out that the partnership with the Singaporean Institute of Technical Education ensured that the state establish it own Institute of Technical Education, the governor asserted that the measure would go a long way in curbing the sporadic rise in unemployment rate in the state.

“The effort spur the upgrading of the four Skills Acquisition Centres as well providing a new blueprint that will enable graduates of the Centres become self-reliant and create wealth for themselves”.

He in addition affirmed that his administration trained over one thousand, five hundred (1,500) youths under the Nasarawa Youth Empowerment Scheme (NAYES) as Traffic Marshals, Sanitary Inspectors and Community Watchers, he added that additional one thousand, five hundred (1,500) youths are undergoing intensive training to serve as Infrastructure Watchers.

“Government has also empowered one thousand, four hundred and seventy (1,470) women comprising widows, the physically challenged and the indigent drawn from all the electoral wards of the State. This is aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship among women.

In the education sector, governor Al-Makura hinted that his administration undertook a holistic overhaul of the education sector from primary to the tertiary level by constructing 44 Nos. 2 storey building Taal Model Primary Schools and 500 classroom blocks as well construction of 10 numbers hostel accommodation for our tertiary institutions.

“We made education free for primary and post-primary students and resuscitated the school feeding programme aimed at relieving parents of such burden in the boarding schools”.

The governor called on the people of Nasarawa state to use this occasions as a moment of a reflection on our journey, as he said is pertinent to note that the desire for self-determination, economic development and social cohesion were the impetus that propelled our founding fathers to struggle for the creation of the State.

The governor attested that massive roads constructions within the major cities, rural-urban roads, as well as feeder roads across the state were constructed , he says no fewer than 300km asphalt-drained were constructed in Lafia and eleven (11) Local Government Area headquarters while work on the Keana,Garaku and Toto- Umaisha roads are commencing as contract has been awarded.

He attested that massive roads constructions within the major cities, rural-urban roads, as well as feeder roads across the State, he says no fewer than 300km asphalt-drained were constructed in Lafia and eleven (11) Local Government Area headquarters while work on the Keana,Garaku and Toto- Umaisha roads are commencing as contract has been awarded.

Al-Makura said concerted approach and consideration are attached to the health of its citizenry by offsetting the backlog of the salary arrears and implemented the new salary structures of the health workers which, before the inception of current administration, had led to a protracted industrial action. We have also constructed and upgraded General Hospitals, as well as Primary Healthcare Centres across the state.

In addition, the construction of 150 bed Model Hospitals in Lafia, Akwanga and Nasarawa are at various stages of completion.  When these facilities are completed, they will serve as referral centres as they are to be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

“Government completed the Central Medical Stores initiated in 2005, Already; the facility is supplying quality drugs to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. This move is aimed at curtailing circulation of substandard and fake drugs in the State while the state government recently donated the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital to the Federal University, Lafia as its Teaching Hospital for the proposed College of Medical Sciences”.

The said deliberate attempt was made by Government to also improve the power generation capacity across the State in order to improve industrial activities. In this regard, we procured transformers and other electrical equipment for Lafia metropolis and other urban, as well as semi-urban centres across the State.

“Government has also secured the commitment of the Federal Government to build a 330/132 Injection Sub-Station to serve the entire State with adequate electricity, I believe that the impetus for economic development will be accelerate”.

Perhaps I need to add that side-by-side the issue of healthcare delivery, this Administration has made the provision of potable water a priority.  We have rehabilitated the Akwanga Regional Water Works and completed the Toto and Daddare Water Supply Schemes which are now ready for commissioning.  Just a few days ago, I performed the commissioning of the Nassarawa Eggon Water Scheme which, I believe, will address the perennial water problem in the area.

We have also constructed boreholes in various communities across the State.  Again, the Wamba Water Supply scheme project has just been awarded the gigantic Nassarawa Town Water project will be completed and commissioned before the end of the year In order to give Lafia the befitting look of a State capital, this administration committed resources to the construction of this Lafia City Square for the hosting of political, socio-cultural and sundry events.

“As an agrarian State with agriculture employing more than 70% of its population, this Government embarked on a robust restructuring of the sector. Fertilizers and seedling have continued to be subsidized to our farmers. Government has provided incentives to OLAM Farms in the cultivation of Ten Thousand (10,000) hectares of rice in Rukubi, Doma Local Government Area of the State”.

This has strategically placed Nasarawa State as one of the largest rice producers in the entire West African sub-region. we have also identified other crops which the State has comparative advantage for mechanized farming, including sesame, cassava and sweet potato.

Government is poised to encourage our farmers to go into large scale production to improve earnings. Let me also note that the Dangote Group is investing in our agricultural and mineral potentials of the State for the socio-economic development. In particular, Nasarawa state will soon benefit from this collaboration by the exploration of our large deposit of cocking coal in the Obi/Agwatashi axix with sugar and rice farms in Tunga.

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