By Usman Usman Garba
The Kano State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Aliko Dangote Foundation for the takeover and management of the Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre for a period of 20 years.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s Spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Tuesday.
The agreement is aimed at repositioning the centre and maximising its potential in providing entrepreneurial and vocational training opportunities for youths across the state.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday at the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, with the state government represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Abdulkareem Maude.
The Aliko Dangote Foundation was represented by its Programme Manager (North), Alhaji Sanusi Abdulkadir, and Programme Support Officer, Mustapha Umar.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who was represented by the SSG, said the involvement of the foundation would bring significant development to the centre and the state at large.
Governor Yusuf said the foundation possessed the technical and managerial expertise needed to transform the centre into one of the leading entrepreneurial and vocational training institutions in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
He explained that the decision to hand over the management of the centre followed deliberations by the State Executive Council, which approved the arrangement to ensure the adoption of best practices in vocational training.
The governor expressed confidence that Alhaji Aliko Dangote, as one of the sons of Kano State, would contribute his expertise and resources towards developing the skills and entrepreneurial capacity of the state’s teeming youths.