Following the recent launch of the Federal Government solar power initiative for markets and production clusters tagged “Light up the markets” project at Ariaria and Isinkan markets in Abia and Ondo states respectively, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, yesterday, at the Abubakar Rimi Market, Sabon Gari, Kano, commissioned the pilot phase of the solar project initiative powering over 700 stalls.
The Vice President, who was in Kano for the launch of the State’s version of the National Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Clinics and a town hall meeting with beneficiaries of the Social Investment Programmes, was accompanied to the market by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and other top government officials.
The MSMEs clinics which has gone to more than 10 States is an initiative of the Buhari administration where the FG brings regulators like NAFDAC, SON, FIRS, NEXIM, CAC etc together in one place to sort out issues and problems that entrepreneurs and small, medium scale businesses may have with the regulators.
The Vice President also inspected the ongoing installation of solar panels to cover other parts of the market, as he went around the shops amidst cheers from traders and onlookers at the market.
At the Sani Abacha stadium Kano, venue of the launch of the 15th edition of the MSMEs Clinic and the town hall, Prof. Osinbajo was ushered around the different exhibition stands by the coordinators of the clinic as he interacted with individual product exhibitors that participated in the clinic.
At the end of the inspection, the Vice President then moved to the indoor sports hall of the stadium, where he interacted with the various beneficiaries of the Social Investment Programmes in the state, including the N-Power programme, Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP), and Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP), and Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT).
Having completed the programme of the MSMEs launch, and town hall the Vice President and other officials proceeded on an inspection and flag off of some state government programmes and projects.
One of the programmes flagged off by Prof. Osinbajo was the special training programme for vulcanizers and tricycle mechanics in Kano by the state government.
In his remarks at the event, the Vice President said the programme would define the future of artisans and positively impact the rest of Nigeria.
According to him, “the special training programme is for the 21st Century vulcanizers and tricycles mechanics.
“This is a special programme and it is very clear that it will help the future, not just the future of Kano state, but the future of Nigeria because here today, we are flagging off the training of the types of mechanics and the types of vulcanizers that will define the future.”
While commending the state government for the attention it is giving to artisans, the Vice President urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by giving the training all the seriousness that it deserved, noting that they would become ‘trainers of the future.’
He said: “I must commend the governor for this very special programme especially because he is also going to provide tools and some money, and also provide workshops, even after the training so that everyone of you will be settled in workshops where you can work from, and where you can take clients. I think this will be a very special thing indeed.”
Prof. Osinbajo, the governor and other officials also embarked on an inspection of other state government projects comprising the construction of the overhead bridge at the Murtala Muhammad Way; the construction of the Skills Acquisition Centre at Zaria Road; and the construction of the Zaria Road/Dangi underpass and overhead bridge.
Top government officials at the events include Kano state deputy governor, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazau, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, amongst others.
