Kwara State would benefit from the N200bn funds the Central Bank of
Nigeria has set aside to promote innovative ideas and
entrepreneurship, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has said.
Abdulrazaq said talks have reached an advanced stage for the state to
be considered for the funds that would establish innovation hubs in
the area of high-end movie production and textile manufacturing.
“We are talking with the CBN on the innovation hub and I’m glad to
inform you that our proposal to access the fund is receiving
favourable ratings,” Abdulrazaq told a delegation of Kwara Youth
Centre (KYC) who visited him in Ilorin, the state capital, on
Wednesday night.
“When these hubs are created, they would generate at least 2000 jobs
in the area of movie production and textile designs.”
KYC is an umbrella body of young people, especially professionals, who
research into the challenges in various communities and offer short
and long term solutions or interventions.
The governor said the hubs would attract European and Chinese firms
and lead to technology transfer to the indigenous workers.
Abdulrazaq said he envisions a state where government would create the
right environment for individuals to create wealth and employment
rather than anyone relying exclusively on the government to give them
job.
He restated his commitment to agricultural value chains, especially in
the area of cashew and sugarcane. The governor said Kwara State, with
the right investment in infrastructure, has the potential to be the
number one producer of sugar in Africa.
Abdulrazaq said Kwara under him would pay counterpart funding to
access funds set aside by the Federal Government and multilateral
institutions to drive growth in the grassroots, especially in the area
of education and provision of basic amenities.
Referring to his meeting with the Directors of Personnel Management
(DPMs) in the local government areas where the executive and
committees were suspended, AbdulRazaq said he would pursue
e-governance to fast-track governance.
“I told the DPMs that everybody wanting to work with government must
be computer literate. We have to do things differently. We’ve got to
run efficient government,” he said.
Kayode Oyin-Zubair, Convener of KYC, said they had come to bring
AbdulRazaq up to speed on the activities of the group which the
Governor had long been supporting.
The group urged the governor to focus on empowering the youth in
various ways and establishing economic clusters for different
categories of entrepreneurs, artisans and creative sector.
It also called on Abdulrazaq to open up Kwara with access roads,
saying that is the only way to boost agriculture and other initiatives
of the administration.
The governor later inducted the KYC as an advisory board to the government.
…we’ll encourage investors to create employment
The Kwara State Government has said it will continue to facilitate and
work towards industrial development of the state in order to create
employment opportunities for the youths and improve revenue drive.
The state Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi stated this yesterday in his
office when he received the Executive and members of De-Ambassador
Club of Oro-Ago led by its Chief Ambassador, Dr Ayodeji Oni who paid
him a courtesy visit.
Alabi disclosed that the present administration led by Governor
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq had facilitated the establishment of a Cashew
Processing Plant to the state.
The Deputy Governor said the foreign company had agreed to build four
Cashew Processing Plants in Nigeria in which one would be located in
Kwara State calling on the people to make use of the opportunity to
plant the crop.
He stated that the present administration would ensure the development
of all nooks and crannies of the State to make life easy for the
people.
Alabi promised that roads would be rehabilitated to encourage farmers
and ensure smooth transportation of goods and services.
The Deputy Governor also pledged to facilitate development to the town
of Oro-Ago and the entire State stating that the government would not
disappoint the people.
Earlier the Chief Ambassador of De-Ambassador Club, Dr Oni
congratulated the present administration on their victory and
successful inauguration.
Oni, who is the Medical Director of Agape Medical Hospital, Lagos
prayed for the success of the present administration and cordial
working relationship among the various arms of government.
