By Dare Akogun
The Governor of Katsina State Rt. honourable Aminu Masari has commissioned a hotel facility at the Igbaja campus of the Al Hikmah University.
The governor who commended the founder of Al hikmah university Alhaji Raheem Oladimeji and the management staff for their investment in teaching agriculture, a gesture which he says will boost food production and development of not only Kwara state but Nigeria as a whole.
Masari who said the agriculture sector is a saving grace for the country in the face of dwindling earnings from crude oil, said agriculture can take Nigeria out of the economic woes.
He said with the rising cost of food items across the globe, the country must grow what it eats to be self sufficient.
The Katsina state governor whose the hostel blocks were named after, maintained that agriculture has been the main stay if the Nigerian economy before the advent of Oil , saying what would have happened to Nigeria without the foresight to revamp the agricultural sector with covid and the prize of crude oil.
According to him “That is one of the greatest achievements of this administration. So we should grow what we eat and eat what we grow to feed ourselves.
“If we are not self sufficient, there is no way we can make progress as a nation,” he said.
“In Katsina State in particular, the report shows 45% of Primary 6 pupils do not transit to Junior Secondary Schools, while 48% of those students who finished JSS do not transit to Senior Secondary School.”
The Katsina Governor explained that his administration has already started taking actions to address the many factors responsible for the low transitions by establishing Pilot Junior Secondary Schools in 68 Primary Schools across the state, with two in each Local Government Area.
Governor Masari who also revealed that Katsina state has also made tremendous commitment to the development of agriculture in the state, added that the state will be sponsoring indigent students to attend the Al hikmah university.
Earlier in his speech the Vice chancellor of Al hikmah university Professor Noah Yusuf said that as part of its efforts at contributing to the production of agricultural graduates in the country Agric courses in university is tution free.
He said the university is on the path to boosting food production in the country with the investment on Agriculture production by the university.
The Vice chancellor also use the opportunity to commend the founder of the university Alhaji Raheem Oladimeji for his vision in establishing the university, he says the University is waxing stronger and will continue to be the number one faith based university in the country.
The highlight of the event is the foundation laying ceremony Gov Masari for another 16 room block of hostel at the campus.
