Governor Abubakar who hailed the one time governor as a great and selfless Nigerian, applauded him for choosing to serve especially in this time the country needs him most. He also stated that to improve the lot of the people, there is a need to leverage on science and technology, hence the move by his administration to collaborate with the ministry. He stressed that science and technology is key to rapidly achieve meaningful progress.
On the issue of youth unemployment, Gov Abubakar said though his administration inherited many problems, he is not one to shy away from tackling them. He said that most of the skills required to empower the youths to be productive are handled by centers tied to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. He stressed that the state comprising of over 60% educated and uneducated youths can be empowered with requisite skills and tools to succeed, hence the partnership with the ministry.
The Minister on his part thanked the governor and acknowledged the good works he has done in Bauchi in a short space of time. “Out of the 26 incubation centers we have in the state, he established 15 in less than one year” he said. He also said these incubation centers are very important in the commercialization of innovation churned out by their 17 agencies. “They help these new skills and methods reach the people at the grassroots. This is the best way to move people out of poverty and increase productivity” he added.
The Minister also advised Gov Abubakar to set up a ministry of science and technology. He acknowledged the governor’s efforts to leverage science and technology to diversify the economy of the state. He also looked forward to visiting the state and thanked the governor for a job well done.
