Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has redeemed his pledge to give one million naira each to 33 first class graduates of the Nasarawa State University Keffi.
Engineer Sule presented a cheque worth N33m to the graduates at their graduation ceremony having underwent a three-weeks intensive training in agriculture under the AASule Ideation Camp 33, in Gora, near Keffi, on Friday.
The training session, which was organized by the Nasarawa State University Keffi, in Collaboration with CSS Group of Companies, saw the beneficiaries receive intensive training focusing on modern techniques of agriculture including mechanised farming, hydroponics, green house farming, irrigation farming, leadership, business development, aimed at impacting them with knowledge and skills to become self-employed.
Recall that the Governor, while attending the 7th convocation of the university, announced a cash gift of one million naira each to the 33 first class graduates.
Redeeming his pledge at the end of the AASule Ideation Camp 33, described the event as a dream come true, especially that the graduates who have received training in the aspect of agriculture, would now use the one million as seed money to start their business.
Engineer Sule appreciated the management of the university for the novel idea of providing knowledge and skills to the beneficiaries with a view to making them self-reliant.
“My excitement today is about the level of commitment first by the university because immediately I made the pronouncement of the N33m, one million each to the 33 first class students, at the time, I didn’t know how we were going to do that because all I said was that I wanted to give you a working capital to start a business. Coming from a business background myself, I wanted a situation to give you something to start,” he stated.
He expressed appreciation that through collaborative efforts with CSS Group of Companies, the university was able to impact knowledge and skills on the graduates that may worth more than twenty million naira.
“It’s really not about the money. It’s not about N10m or N50m. A lot of students graduate with the intention of working only for the government. Before I became a Governor, I had never worked for government in my life. I had always been in the private sector. You are today the private sector because you are the entrepreneurs.
“Today, you have acquired something worth more than N20m. That is the skill that you have acquired. It’s the skill that matters, and that is what we wanted you to have. Life of a leader is the happiest based on the number of lives he has been able to touch positively,” he said.
While noting that the beneficiaries were selected based on merit, with out recourse to tribe, religion or region, Engineer Sule advised the beneficiaries to explore the opportunities provided by the Nasarawa State Youth Revolving Fund Scheme domiciled with the Bank of Industry.
In his welcome address, Vice Chancellor of the Nasarawa State University, Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammed, specifically appreciated Engineer Sule for providing the impetus for the training after he announced the one million naira cash gift to 33 first class graduates of the institution.
“To our campers, let me congratulate you. Because the point has been made, this is the first time we are having this probably in Nigeria. But for sure in Nasarawa State. I believe that you have acquired knowledge, information and gotten what you require to go and become employers of labour.
“We believe that with what you have acquired now, you can go and start your business. Nasarawa State University is committed to expanding our entrepreneurship,” the VC stated.
On his part, Founder/CEO CSS Group of Companies, Prof. John Kennedy Opara, said the purpose of the training was to engage the 33 first class graduates in agriculture and to turn them into wealth creators.
Prof. Opara equally commended Engineer Sule for selecting the beneficiaries based on merit, with each of the six geopolitical zones of the country being represented, for the sole purpose of impacting on their lives.
He told the graduating trainees that none of them should go to the labour market but should endeavour to be wealth creators and employers of labour.
In his remarks, AA Sule Ideation Committee Chairman, Prof Maikano Ari, thanked Engineer Sule foe giving the university the opportunity to impact necessary knowledge and skills on first class graduates of the state owned university.
According to him, the present trend is to move away from reliance on certificates, especially with the trust of the university to change the narrative particularly regarding the employability of first class graduates of NSUK.