Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has made good his promise of fighting unemployment as he has completed the N5 billion Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre designed to ensure the employment and empowerment of millions of Kano youths and women.
Speaking at the Centre on Thursday, Ganduje said plans have been concluded to employ a foreign expert for prudent management of Centre located at Gurjiya town, in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, that will soon be commissioned.
Ganduje added that Aliko Dangote has agreed take the responsibilities of paying the salary of the foreign expatriate for six years. He said he procured a state-of-art equipment worth N2.5 billion from the United Kingdom which were installed in the Ultra Modern Integrated Skills Acquisition Centre named after business mogul, Aliko Dangote.
According to him, the structure of the Centre which has about 24 different crafts departments also cost about N2.5 Billion, adding that why he was employing an expatriate to manage the integrated skill Centre for about three years was to imbibe the culture of prudent management so as to avoid the Centre from collapse.
He also stated that, CCTV Camera will also be installed for property security of the management, staff, students and the state-of-the-art equipment in the Centre.
Ganduje noted that, “you are most welcome to this Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre. The details of what we have here in terms of training and training facilities have already ben explained by our technical people. But myself as a messenger of this project, I will like to inform you of very critical issues pertaining to this Centre.
“First of all, we are not just beating about the bush as far as this Centre is concerned. It has been created as a result of knowledge, as a result of research and as a result of investigation on what are the gaps that are existing in Kano state in terms of employment opportunities.
“So, we have to commission a consultant to go round within the public and private sectors to see what are the trades that can be impacted on our youths; and employment will be automatic. They came up with 24 types of trades. We also found out what are the types of machines that are being required, what type of building that is supposed to be done. So, there was a design after making classification on the type of machine.
“Then the next issue is the ability to do the building and the ability to purchase the required machines. We have already done that.
“The next issue is that of training. We are training young graduates and young engineers on different fields considering what sections we have here. We are doing this so that they will be able to manage the Centre.
“Now, another important issue is that management which is critical. Without good management, all that we have labored here will go into the drain in a matter of few years! You will just be finding carcasses of what we have here today!
“So, we are making an enabling law to govern this Centre. It is not going to be business as usual, whether it will be under the Ministry of Works, Ministry of this and that…it will under bureaucracy, and before you know it, the management is gone!
“In order to develop accountability and prudency, we have decided to employ a foreigner for the management of this place. We are employing a foreign expert from the United Kingdom so that he will set the culture of prudent management for, at least, three years so that anybody who is coming in will follow that culture.
“By the grace of God, our son who we mention this Centre after his name, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has agreed to pay the foreigner for, at least, six years. We know he will be able to pay it.
“Again, in order to ensure the safety of the equipment at the Centre, we are going to install CCTV Cameras everywhere so that even if you pick a pin, you will be captured. The camera will pick you so that business will not be as usual.
“We assure you this Centre will serve the people of Kano state. It will also serve people from other parts of the country. We are going to collaborate with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) because we cannot do it alone.
“Our intention is to come out with the best way to manage this Centre. We are coming out with the best way to sustain this Centre and make it beneficial to the good people of Kano state.”
