VP Shettima launches NEDC’s ASSEP, commends N’East Governors

By Beatrice Gondyi

Vice-president of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima has launched the Accelerated Senior Secondary School Education Program (ASSEP) in Bauchi state.

Speaking at the Banquet Hall of the Government House Bauchi, the Vice-president who commended the performance of the Northeast Governors, urged them to continue to synergize with a view to improving the standard of education in the region.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer CEO of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Dr. Mohammed Goni Alkali had earlier described the launch of the ASSEP as a landmark event in the history of the North-East Region.

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Dr Goni who explained that the NEDC was a Regional Development enabler, noted that the Region consisted of people with diverse but rich and complementary socio-cultural and economic heritage and traditions.

He said that the FG conceived and established the Commission not merely to rebuild social and physical infrastructure damaged by the devastating insurgency that ravaged the region but also to address the root issues that fueled such and lift the region to a level where such will not happen again.

He added that NEDC was set up to coordinate and drive a strategic development agenda with a focus on the near-term and future challenges to, and opportunities for development.

“The North-East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NERSDMP) developed by the Commission and its diverse partners consists of Pillars that support Human Capital Development in the North-East Region such as Educated Populace and Healthy Citizens Pillars”, Dr Goni said.

According to him, the pillars caters for both human capital and physical facilities (infrastructure, teaching/learning materials, etc.) which he said is estimated to cost over N1 trillion.

The NEDC MD said that the Commission has also ploughed other funds in Human Capital training and retraining programmes that can propel socio-economic development of the North East Region.