The Sokoto State government has pledged its support for the newly upgraded Sokoto Office of the Nigeria Institute of Leather Science and Technology to carry out its mandate effectively.
Governor Ahmad Aliyu stated this while receiving the institute’s Director- General, Dr Awwal Mustafa Imam in Sokoto.
The Governor commended the foresight of the Director-General in upgrading the Sokoto office of the Institute to a regional office.
He said the move would go along way in improving the economic status of the region and Sokoto in particular.
“The activities of this Institute are in line with my administration’s 9- point Smart Innovative Agenda to reduce unemployment and create job opportunities for our people
“Upgrading the Sokoto office to a regional office is the right thing to do considering the fact that Sokoto is the home of leather.
“Even the popular Moroccan leather originated from Sokoto as it was made from our popular Sokoto red goats,” he said.
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The Governor assured the Director- General of his administration’s determination to support the newly created Sokoto regional centre to function effectively
He appealed for more job vacancies for Sokoto State indigenes in the new regional office.
Gov. Aiyu also appealed for stronger collaboration between the state and NLIST.
Earlier, Dr Awwal Mustafa Imam said, the Institute decided to upgrade its Sokoto office because of the strategic position Sokoto occupies in the country.
He said preparations are in top gear to provide the regional office with all the needed equipment for efficiency and called on the state government to sponsor its indigenes to study leather related courses offered by the Institute.
Imam said, “We have inspected the facility and directed the movement of heavy equipment from Zaria to Sokoto
“We have mobilized the contractors to return to the site for the construction of effluent water treatment plant and for the renovation of Tannery so that the centre can compete with the headquarters and other centers.”
He solicited for the support and cooperation of the members of the National Assembly in the zone to consider the center in their constituency projects by bringing their people to it for skills acquisition training.
Dr Awwal added that the Institute lacks adequate manpower, hence the need for the states to send their people to the centre to study leather and leather products courses.
According to him,the leather industry in Nigeria has the potential to equally generate a lot of income into the nation’s coffers,if properly supported by the state governments.
The DG used the occasion to announce the appointment of Garba Ajiya Kilgori, an indigene of Sokoto as the pioneer Coordinator of the centre.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
