Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said that Kaduna State Government has demonstrated its belief in young people, by creating platforms and opportunities for them since 2015.
Speaking while welcoming the fourth cohort of Kashim Ibrahim Fellows on Wednesday, the governor said that his government has ‘’given many young persons appointments and challenging responsibilities.’’
According to El-Rufai, his administration’s belief in the capability of young people ‘’informed our decision to initiate the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship, a programme conceived to help widen the pool of young persons whose leadership ability we can help develop and nurture.’’
The governor disclosed that ‘’Kaduna State Government, the Governing Board, and the Administrator of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship are committed to making your fellowship a most transformative experience in building public service leadership capacity.’’
‘’Just as the appointees in this government come from across Nigeria, we opened up participation in the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship to all Nigerian youths,’’ he pointed out.
The governor said that he hopes to open up the Fellowship ‘’to all Africans, including those in the Diaspora, at the most appropriate time in the near future.’’
El Rufai said that Kaduna State Government has been impressed by the performance of the first three sets of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship.
‘’They have amply justified the hopes and resources we invested in them, giving a good account of themselves in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies to which they were posted, demonstrating intellectual acuity in their training programmes, and showing a commitment to the public good,’’ he said.
The governor said that the earlier cohorts had notable traits like youthful vibrancy, willingness to learn and reliability in delivery.
‘’As the fellows of the fourth cohort settle into their programme, I wish to challenge each of you to live up to the high standards already set,’’ he added.
The governor told the Fellows that they ‘’ will be required to read a lot of books on subjects as diverse as Nigerian history and politics, geopolitics, governance, and global economic trends.’’