Gov. Aliyu Pledges Support As NILST Upgrades Sokoto Office To Regional Centre
By Juliet Vincent
Governor Ahmed Aliyu has assured his administration’s support to the newly upgraded Sokoto Office of the Nigeria Institute of Leather Science and Technology, (NILST) to carry out its mandates effectively.
He stated this while receiving its Director- General, Dr Awwal Mustafa Imam in Sokoto.
In a statement by his Press Secretary, Abubakar Bawa, the Governor commended the foresight by the Director-General to upgrade the Sokoto office of the Institute to a regional office.
He said the move would go along way in improving the economic status of the region and Sokoto in particular.
“The activities of this Institute are in line with my administration’s 9- point Smart Innovative Agenda to reduce unemployment and create jobs opportunities for our people
“Upgrading the Sokoto office to a regional office is the right thing to do considering the fact that Sokoto is the home of leather.
“Even the popular Moroccan leather originated from Sokoto as it was made from our popular Sokoto red goats,” he added.
The Governor assured the Director- General of his administration’s determination to support the newly created Sokoto regional centre to function effectively
He appealed for more job vacancies to Sokoto State indigenes in the new regional office.
Gov. Aiyu appealed, ‘”We look forward to a stronger collaboration with NLIST for the good of our people.”
Earlier, Dr Awwal Mustafa Imam said, the Institute decided to upgrade its Sokoto office in consideration of the strategic position Sokoto occupies in the country.
He added that preparations were in top gear to provide the regional office with all the needed equipment for efficiency and called on the state government to sponsor its indigenes to study leather related courses offered by the Institute.
Imam said, “We have inspected the facility and directed the movement of heavy equipment from Zaria to Sokoto.
“We have mobilized the contractors to return to the site for the construction of affluent water treatment plant and for the renovation of Tannery so that the center can compete with the headquarters and other centers.”
He solicited for the support and cooperation of the members of the National Assembly in the zone to consider the center in their constituency projects by bringing their people to it for skills acquisition training.
Dr Awwal added that the Institute lacks adequate manpower, hence the need for the states to send their people to the center to study leather and leather products courses.
According to him, the leather industry in Nigeria has the potential to equally generate a lot of income into the nation’s coffers,if properly supported by the state governments.
The D-G also commended the member representing Bodinga/Dange Shuni/Tureta Federal Constituency, Nasiru Shehu Bodinga, for his effort in ensuring the upgrade of the state office to a regional one.
The D-G used the occasion to present to the Governor a letter on the upgrading of the state office to a regional office, and announced Garba Ajiya Kilgori, an indigene of Sokoto as the pioneer Coordinator of the centre.
