Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, said arrangements have been concluded to employ a foreign expert to effectively manage the soon to be commissioned N5 billion Aliko Dangote Skill Acquisition Centre located at Gurjiya town, in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State.
This is just as Ganduje disclosed that the structure of the Centre, which has about 24 different crafts departments, also costs about N2.5 Billion.
Making the assertion, on Thursday in Kano, after inspecting the multi-billion Naira Centre, Ganduje said Aliko Dangote has agreed to pay the salary of the foreign expatriate for six years.
It would be recalled that Ganduje procured state-of-art equipment worth N2.5 billion from the United Kingdom which was installed in the Ultra Modern Integrated Skills Acquisition Centre named after the business mogul, Aliko Dangote.
The Governor further disclosed that he was employing an expatriate to manage the integrated skill centre for about three years in order to imbibe the culture of prudent management and also prevent the Centre from collapse.
Ganduje said: “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 been 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.
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“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 laboured 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.
“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 name this centre after, 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.”
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