Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai has urged citizens of the state to continue being advocates of unity in diversity for a better Nigeria.
The Governor made the call while inaugurating the fourth set of Kashim Ibrahim Fellows, KIF in Kaduna.
“With the country’s projected population of about 450 million people, if all the young people see Nigeria as one, the country’s problems as common, our humanity as more binding and unifying than our identities, ethnicity and religion, we will have the greatest country ever” the Governor said.
According to him, the Kashim Ibrahim fellowship is a way of bringing young people from across the country to spend 12 months together debating and sharing ideas on governance, leadership and even the breakup of Nigeria.
“These set of fellows will dine, work and sleep together in the same hostel for a year. They will also debate and share ideas on the breakup of Nigeria. During their 12 months of experience, they will not only read and reflect on governance, politics and public service, but also get to meet accomplished Nigerians and foreigners who will give them insights into leadership”.
Governor El-Rufai said many of the fellows who came with preconceived notions about Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria and the North-South dichotomy will end up becoming proponents of national unity after they have studied countries that do better when they are bigger, better educated, healthier and more productive.
He therefore urged his counterparts in other states to emulate the program in order to unify the youths.
“I am happy that the Lagos State government has commenced a similar program named after the Late Chief Latif Jakande. I call on all states and the federal government to also emulate the program for the purpose of bringing a larger number of Nigerians together in order to prepare for the next generation of leaders”, he said.
About 24 candidates, comprising of 12 males and 12 females were selected for the fourth cohort of fellows and are expected to resume the programme in August.
From amongst the 24, eight are Kaduna state Indigenes while 16 were drawn from Kwara, Taraba, Abia, Oyo, Cross River, Kano, Osun, Borno, Edo, Kogi, Katsina, Lagos, Sokoto, Nasarawa states, and the FCT Abuja respectively.
Emmanuel Ukoh
