Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has assured that his administration would soon equip the state’s health training institutions with state-of-the-art equipment to enhance teaching and learning so that they can produce highly qualified manpower for the state.
The governors dropped this hint while speaking at a reception organised in honour of the outgoing Registrar, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Dr Abubakar Faruk, who completed the mandatory 35 years of service.
Aliyu described the lack of modern teaching and learning equipment in the state-owned health institutions as one of the major obstacles to achieving effective teaching in line with extant global best practices, hence the need to change the ugly trend.
“We cannot continue with obsolete teaching equipment in our health training institutions, when technology is moving fast in the area of digital and state-of-the-art equipment.
“Improving our health sector remains one of our top priorities, as it constitutes one of our nine-point smart agenda for the state,” Aliyu said.
He added that his administration has recently recruited over 800 Nurses and Midwives who had been waiting for employment for the past nine years.
This move, according to him, is geared towards meeting the hitherto dire need of manpower in the state’s health sector for effective service delivery.
The Governor also praised Faruk for his immense contributions to the development of the State’s School of Nursing when he served the state.
According to him, Faruk, had during his service in the state, dedicated his time to ensure that the state’s indigenes were encouraged to go into Nursing Sciences and Midwifery.
Aliyu further applauded the contribution of the outgoing Registrar for ensuring that the nation’s Nursing and Midwifery institutions did not compromise academic standards.
He commended the former Registrar for his dedication,hardwork and above all, selfless service while steering the affairs of the council.
“I want to assure you that this administration would tap from the wealth of experience of the outgoing Registrar for the benefit of our state,” the governor promised.
In his remarks, Faruk Umar highlighted some of the achievements recorded by the council under his watch.
He said that total of 147,000 Nurses and Midwives had been produced in the eight years of his stewardship across the the country.
He stated that the number of nurses and midwives being produced annually had also risen to 29,000 as against 9,000 before he took over the council.
He added that the nation had recorded additional 98 new Colleges of Nursing and Midwifery, in addition to the existing ones during his stay as the Registrar.
Faruk thanked Aliyu for gracing the occasion and assured of his readiness to assist in ensuring the development of the states’ health sector.
There were also goodwill massages from the retinue of personalities that graced the epochal ceremony.
During the event, Aliyu presented Senator Wamakko’s ‘Award of Excellence’ to the celebrant in recognition of his meritorious service to the country and the state as well.
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