The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has commenced the training of Quality Assurance Assessors in the Northwest zone.

Declaring the five-day training workshop open on Monday in Kano, the NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said that the training was supported by the World Bank under the “Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS)“ project.

Bugaje, represented by his Special Adviser, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, explained that the World Bank was supporting the Federal Ministry of Education and some selected states to promote technical and vocational education in the country.

He said the project was geared towards enhancing the quality and relevance of skills in the country, noting that the IDEAS project was in six states across the federation.

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The NBTE boss disclosed that the project was meant to intervene in the development of the technical colleges and skills sector in Nigeria.

He described the initiative as vital for the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Bugaje expressed regrets that over the years technical colleges were not functioning as expected.

He said this made the World Bank to provide a $200 million loan for the Federal government to reposition technical colleges in some selected states in order to close the skill gaps in the country.

Bugaje, who lamented the shortage of quality assurance assessors in the country, noted that the participants would be trained with a view for them to be able to train youths in skill acquisition.

“The number of quality assurance assessors is not more than 1,500 in a country of 200 million people and that is why the Federal Government is partnering with IDEAS to close the gap,” he said.

The Project Manager of IDEAS, Abbati Muhammad, said that the World Bank was supporting the IDEAS project in each of the participating state with $200 million credit facility for its smooth implementation.

According to him, the project has four components with the core objective of enhancing the capacity of the Nigerian skills development system to produce relevant skills for the formal and informal sectors.

He explained that the training would enhance their capacity to effectively carry out their assigned activities across all the four project components of the scheme.

Muhammad explained that some of the challenges in the sector could be surmounted through the National Skill Qualification Framework developed to achieve the occupational standardisation.

Earlier, the commissioner for Education, Ya’u Yanshana, said that Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje launched the project ‘Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills“ recently.

According to him, the implementation of the project signifies the seriousness and commitment of those managing the IDEAS project.

He commended the NBTE for its concerted efforts to see that much was achieve within the life span of the project.

Represented by the Executive Secretary, Science and Technology Schools Board, Ahmed Abdullahi, noted that advent of knowledge economy and educational competences were prized above natural resources as the prime factor in national development.

“The combination of science, technology and mathematics education is acknowledged as the pivot of economic and industrial development, with its sub-sector, Technical, Vocational Education and training (TVET) as the pillars of the economy.

“A country’s standing in science and technology and in TVET defines her stand in the ladder of the world economies.

“Success stories of the newly industrialising countries (NICs) such as as Korea, China and Malaysia attest to the fact that the systematic application of scientific and technological knowledge is a major actor to leapfrog into sustainable economic development, ” he said.

He urged the participants to make good use of the knowledge they had acquired for the overall development of the state and the country at large.

Some of the participants, who spoke to our correspondent commended the organisers and promised to share the knowledge with others.

The Action Democratic party Gubernatorial Candidate and a member of the House Of representatives for Municipal Federal Constituency Honourable Shaaban Ibrahim Sharad ,OON has urged security agencies to swing into action and arrest the state APC chairman Abdullahi Abbas who calls for violence during the flagg off of APC Gubernatorial Campaign at Gaya Local government on the 23rd of November 2022.

In a statement issued to newsmen by the ADP Gubernatorial Campaign Council Spokesperson Abbas Yushau Yusuf said Sharada described the call by the state APC chairman as a call to violence and voter intimidation as the country prepares for general election.

The ADP Governorship candidate said at a time when Kano people are ready to kick out the unpopular APC Government from Kano Government House,the state party chairman known for his character of hate speech and instigation of violence has already started intimidating the electorate in a slogan he use at party campaign that ‘Ko da tsiya Ko da tsiya tsiya sai mun ci zabe” meaning whether the electorate like it or not we are going to win election by hook or crook.

The candidate said in a situation where the independent National electoral commission released its guidelines for the peaceful conduct of 2023 general elections Abbas’s statement is an insult and slap on the face of Kano people,INEC,law abiding citizens,Kano people who are very civil and who use to vote their leaders through peaceful Democratic means.

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The hate speech according to Sharada by Abdullahi Abbas contravenes section 92 to section 96 of the 2022 electoral act which prohibits threat or use of force against voters .

Honourable Sha’aban further urge security agencies to enforce some sections of the electoral act and call Abdullahi Abbas to order before 2023 campaign is turned into full blown violence as a result of the party chairman’s unguarded utterances.

“We call on civil society organizations,the cleric, statesmen and other well meaning individuals to put hands together and stop people like Abdullahi Abbas and his ilk from making statements that will continue to overheat the polity till and after election day”said Sharada.

Apart from civil society organizations and the clerics the ADP Governorship candidate urges the National peace committee being chaired by a former respected Head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar who put the country on the path of Democracy to wade into the matter due to Kano state’s position in national and international politics.

Honorable Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada also called on Kano state peace committee led by Abdullahi Waiya to come into the fold and call any politician including Abdullahi Abbas who are willing to instigate violence during the forthcoming elections to their senses for peace to reign and allow Kano voters to exercise their civic Right.

He urge Kano electorate to also remain calm and never be intimidated by any one no matter how highly placed he is as the will of the people supercedes any interest.

By Ozumi Abdul

Markaz Ihyahi Sunnah Foundation on Saturday graduated seven students, make cash donations and as well issued certificates to the graduands

The foundation which started over 12 years ago is located at Line Chairman, Maikalwa, Yanlemu, Kumbotso, Kano is geared towards improving quality of life, revive the fading Islamic heritage and provide quality religious studies to the knowledge seekers.

According to the Director of the Organization, Ustadh Ibraheem Abubakr Amosa, the organization is a non-profit making organization and the major areas of focus are education, health, and livelihood programs. V

He noted that the average number of students is approximately 155,adding that the institution has never charged fees from any student.

Its contribution includes the distribution of Mushafs, Hadeeth, and Fiqh books, writing materials, a sewing machine, a computer system, and mosquito nets to students over the years – all free of charge.

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“Alhamdulillaah. Muslim Community needs qualified Islamic teachers; male and female. In shaa Allah we will produce young qualified teachers. Here and now, we have seven of our students who wrote a book in Arabic called *Sisilatul ‘Aqeedah bi Adillati Saheehah;* they are Rasheed Muhammad, Abdullah Kamaludeen, Dhikrullah Abdullah, Ruqayyah Shehu, Ruqayyah Ahmad Al Ameen, Rumaiza Sadiq Abdullah, and Fatima Yusuf Garzali”, he said.

Among notable personalities that graced the occasion are Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Muhammad Getso, Sheikh Dr. Khidir Bashir, Sheikh Gambo Ado, Dr. Inuwa Darma, and several others.

Cash prices, award presentations, certificate presentations, and others were made.

On the source of the foundations’ support, the Director Ustadh Ibraheem Abubakr Amosa, said most of the supports for the foundations usually come from good spirited individuals and friends.

He noted that it is imperative to help the needy in the society and also to equally train several female teachers which he said is lacking within the neighborhood.