The Managing Director, North-East Development Commission (NEDC), Mr Muhammed Alkali, has inaugurated two ICT resource centres in Damaturu and Potiskum Local Government and inspected other projects in the state.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other ICT centre inaugurated by the MD is situated at Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum.
Alkali said that the objectives of establishing the centres while inaugurating one at Yobe State University, Damaturu was to empower youths and make them self-reliant.
“Our overall objective is to improve access to ICT resources within the northeast region, empower youths and make them self-reliant.
“Initially, the plan is to establish a centre each in every state of the region. The one in Yobe is located in Gashua Local Government.
“But due to demands, we decided to have one in each of the senatorial district of the entire region. Which means we are having 18 centres now.”, he said.
The NEDC boss explained that each of the centres, equipped with modern facilities such as smart phone repairs and graphic design, were meant to graduate 600 students every year.
He said that after graduation, the students would be given a starter kits pack to start their business.
Meanwhile, Alkali also inspected the ongoing 500 mass housing project in Damaturu and Gashua local government areas and other projects executed by the commission in different parts of the state.
He assured the contractors of the commission’s commitment to prompt payment, and urged them to speed up the work to meet the deadline.
Alkali expressed satisfied with the hybrid solar boreholes constructed at the NYSC camp, Dazigau and Gashua, as part of the Rapid Response Intervention Projects of the commission.
In his remarks, Prof Mala Daura, the Vice Chancellor, Yobe State University commended NEDC for its commitment to development of education sector.
He also applauded the commission for its plan to build a 250 student’s capacity auditorium in the university.
Speaking, Gov. Mai Mala Buni, expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, for establishing the commission.
Buni, represented by Prof Muhammed Munkaila, the Commissioner for Higher Education said that Yobe government was willing to partner with the commission to accelerate post insurgency recovery in the state.
(NAN)
