By Hassana Yakubu
Kaduna – The Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation said it had trained 2,651 young men and women in its entrepreneurship and vocational training programme across 19 states in the North and FCT.
Dr Shattima Ali, its Managing Director, said in Kaduna on Friday that at least100 persons were trained in each of the states and FCT in various vocations.
“We have a standing deposit with Jaiz Bank as cash guaranty backing by the foundation for commercial loans the bank is expected to make to beneficiaries of the training,” he said.
“The foundation kicked off operations on July, 10, 2010.
“In realisation of the significance of education to development, the foundation re-visited the 2008 Northern Education Summit through a review of the summit in 2011.
“The review appraised the achievements and challenges of the implementation of the 2008 summit and recommends the setting up of a monitoring and evaluation group.
“The group comprises of well-grounded education practitioners who have been actively involved in teaching and education management to ensure the implementation of the strategies.
“This recommendations are submitted to the NSGF,” he said.
Ali also said a total of 580 degree and HND local scholarships had been awarded out of which 243 had graduated so far.
“An evaluation of the programme undertaken in 2016 indicates that 46 per cent of those who completed their programmes graduated with first or second class upper divisions or upper credit in HND,” he said.
According to him each recipient receives a N100, 000.00 scholarship fund annually over the duration of his/her degree or higher national diploma programme.
He also said that in the free medical scheme, the foundation had major outreach in Rabbah, Sokoto State.
The managing director said that over 2000 beneficiaries were screened and treated for various ailments, while 100 people underwent various forms of surgery.
He also said that 160 medical doctors, 49 other health personnel and student nurses were trained on trauma and blast skill management.
Ali said that the training was held in all the three zones of the North with resource persons drawn from local and foreign health institutions,
“The importance of this programme is predicated on the growing incidence of trauma and death due to poor handling of blast victims, terrorist attacks, accidents and violent crises,” he said.