Governor Nasir el-Rufai has said that Kaduna state government values the inputs of young people and that is why many youth have been appointed and vested with positions of responsibility.
Speaking at Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, while unveiling the third set of Kashim Ibrahim Fellows on Wednesday, el-Rufai said his administration is “persuaded that sustained mentorship is an effective path to raising effective leaders and public servants.
“In 2017, we decided to institutionalise a programme to contribute to building youth capacity through intellectual stimulation and practical exposure to the workings and challenges of public service. We established the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship Programme as a deliberate investment in building leadership capacity among our youths.”
El-Rufai recalled that “the first set of Fellows resumed in August 2018 after a selection process that was based on merit. By the time of their graduation in July 2019, these 16 fellows, from all over Nigeria, had impressed us with their energy, zeal, talent and ability.
“The second set of Fellows resumed in August 2019 and they have lived up to the hopes that inspired the fellowship. A significant chunk of their programme time has fallen within the uncertainties created by the Covid-19 pandemic, but they have adapted magnificently.
“The first two sets have already set high standards for the 16 fellows that were selected by the Governing Board as the third cohort. Contrary to our plans, we are unable to expand the annual intake of fellows to 24 this year due to the disruptions unleashed by Covid-19,” he said.
El-Rufai, who said that the administration looks forward to welcoming the new fellows next month, expressed hope that they will further raise the standard of the fellowship.
The governor extended gratitude to members of the governing board for their time and resources, while acknowledging the work of the steering committee, comprising some senior staff, who were involved in the selection process.
