The Vice-Chancellor, Gombe State University, Prof. Prof. Aliyu Usman El-Nafaty has expressed delight with the efforts of a non-governmental organisation, HalimaFactor Community Initiative in harnessing the potentials in Nigerian youths for national development.
The don said this is a feat the institution is proud of and is ready to support.
Speaking at the just concluded 8th annual Gombe Day Of Literature, now known as North East Festival of Literature, Culture and Creativity, the VC who was represented by Dr. Sani Ahmed Yauta expressed delight that members of the initiative are largely made up graduates or undergraduates of Gombe State University.
The VC says the university’s dream dream of encouraging human capital development aligns with that of HalimaFactor Community Initiative, assuring that the institution will continue to support this drive.
“We encourage this initiative because we know that our graduates in Gombe State University are going to benefit from its series of activities. It tries to as much as it can encourage human capital development and the same thing is what we do at the university.
“It is a welcomed development that this organisation chooses Gombe State University to be part of its activities.
“The foundation encourages youths to actively participate in developing themselves, and at the same time ensuring that youths are advised to use their own talent to be self-reliant at the fullness of time” Prof. El-Nafaty remarked.
Also speaking, Mai Kaltungo, Engr. Saleh Mohammad OON, applauded the founder HalimaFactor Community Initiative, Halima Usman for her doggedness in raising the tempo of youth empowerment through literature.
The Royal Father noted that with the exposure the initiative offers young people, they are not only being prepared for self-dependence but groomed as useful citizens of the country.
He thanked Gombe state governor, Alh. Inuwa Yahaya, his Deputy Dr. Manassah Jatau as well as the security agencies for ensuring a peaceful atmosphere for the event.
The CEO, HalimaFactor Community Initiative,Khadijah Kwargana said the event which in 2014 started off as an opportunity for only Gombe students to showcase their talents is now a 3-day event covering the six North Eastern states of the federation.
She further expressed optimism that the event will expand beyond the shores of Nigeria in no distant future, adding that the North East Festival of Literature, Culture and Creativity seeks to help participants identify their talents and ways to develop and nurture them.
The founder of HalimaFactor Community Initiative, Halima Usman in her comment noted that the event is not centered around her as a person, emphasising that she has set up a mechanism to ensure that even in her absence, the programme will continue.
While commending the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aliyu Usman El-Nafaty for among other things making available facilities of the university for hosting of the event, Usman, who is also the chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Abuja chapter announced that the 2022 edition of North East Festival of Literature, Culture and Creativity will be a one-week event.
“You can decide to sponsor one thing or the other. The whole essence is to keep the dreams of these children alive, to raise the next set of professors, just like we have them sitted here today.
“We want to raise them, we don’t want to lose them. So I encourage everyone of us to look at the possibility of partnering with us, sponsoring one thing or the other towards the success of this event” she appealed.
The first North East Festival of Literature, Culture and Creativity featured lectures, panel discussion, workshop, poetry, prose, drawing competition, arts and literary exhibitions.
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