In a meeting with the Abuja Editors Forum on Monday (today, October 28), Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State shared his personal journey and vision to foster self-reliance through skills acquisition in Nasarawa State.
Reflecting on his own challenges in acquiring education, Governor Sule recounted how financial constraints shaped his early years and ultimately influenced his commitment to empowering others.
“My parents couldn’t afford to send me to school, to America,” Governor Sule recalled. “So for that reason, I went on scholarship. When I arrived in the United States on scholarship in 1980, Plateau State was already having challenges by 1982. My mates who couldn’t continue their education had to abandon their studies, but because I had learned welding, I was able to work as a welder and continue my schooling.”
This personal experience, Sule said, fueled his motivation to establish the Nasarawa Skills and Technology Centre through which he aims to equip the state’s citizens with practical skills that can make them economically independent and resilient in the face of challenges.
Governor Sule’s drive to establish the center was also influenced by the construction of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, where he observed Nigeria’s shortage of certified technicians.
“When Dangote decided to construct the refinery at Epe, the equipment manufacturers insisted on skilled and certified technicians.
“We had to import 4,000 technicians from India because we couldn’t find qualified locals,” he explained. “That experience taught me that if Nasarawa had skilled citizens, we could have provided at least 500 technicians for such projects, rather than losing all to foreigners.”
Beyond youth empowerment, Governor Sule emphasized the importance of skills for retiring employees in Nasarawa State. Recalling his time as Managing Director of African Petroleum, he noted how many retirees lacked the know-how to invest their retirement benefits effectively.
“Many employees who received ₦15 million or ₦20 million upon retirement had no skills and ended up misusing the funds. In Nasarawa State, we now have pre-retirement skill acquisition programs, so retirees can set up welding shops, carpentry businesses, or other skilled trades and sustain themselves,” Sule stated.
