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Gombe Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya and his guest, Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki, during the commissioning of NITT’s Gombe outreach learning centre, Kumo, Gombe State.
By Akanji Alowolodu, Gombe
The North-East Learning Centre of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) Zaria, in Kumo, Gombe State has been commissioned by the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki.
Accompanied by the Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, the Minister said that the learning center of Institute is to serve all the five other States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Taraba and Yobe in addressing youth unemployment, grow the economy through training and skills acquisition in the transportation sector.
She also said that, Gombe State was selected to host the North-East office due to it’s centrality in the zone and the relative peace it enjoys encouraging the States to take advantage of the centre to improve their economies through the transportation sector which the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari is desirous of revamping.
Director General/Chief Executive, NITT Zaria, Bayero Salih Farah, said that the Institute will offer wide range of courses leading to the award of advanced Professional Diplomas, Professional Diplomas and professional Certificates in Transport and Logistics.
He said that, “Aside from these courses, we have skill acquisition programmes in Auto Mechanics, Auto Electrical, Automotive Mechatronics, Auto Body Work (panel beating), Auto Spraying (painting and spraying) Vehicle Wheel Balancing and Alignment, Vulcanizing, Welding and Fabrication, Passenger Vehicle Operation and Management and Women Small Scale Business Empowerment programmes”.
The DG added that the Institute also have National Innovative Diplomas and Certificates in Automotive Mechatronics, Fire Engineering, Welding and Fabrication, Electrical – Electronics Technology, Shipping Management and National Vocational Certificate (NVC) in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning.
According to him, customized courses in relevant transport and logistic areas can be organized for agencies, Federal, States and Local Government Areas within the zone as well as private and public organizations desiring such programmes to address specific organizational needs.
The skill acquisition programmes are aimed at addressing the unemployment rate in the country more especially among graduate youth and non graduates with specific and necessary skills to establish business of their own at the end of the training and also serve as employers of labour.
In his address, Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya expressed Gombe State’s readiness and honour to host the centre for the benefit of the entire Northeast region, saying, it is apt and handy as it is hoped that it will address unemployment.
While calling on the Federal Government to hasten the resuscitation of the Port-Harcourt – Gombe – Maiduguri rail line, he assured the Federal Government of his State’s support to move the economy forward through interventions in the transport sector.
He also assured that the State Government will sponsor some youths in the centre and called on other well meaning individuals and Government agencies to do likewise.
The centre has has been well equipped with modern state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to facilitate the running of all the programmes outlined.
