Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, on Saturday, donated a fully furnished office complex to the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) in Sokoto. Wamakko, a former Governor of Sokoto state, speaking during the official handover ceremony of the building, reaffirmed his long-standing commitment to promoting technical and vocational education in Nigeria. He described the gesture as a continuation of his lifelong passion for education, which he said remains the foundation of national development and youth empowerment.
Wamakko said: “This handover ceremony is not the end of our relationship; it is the beginning of a partnership that will yield tremendous benefits for technical and vocational education in Nigeria. “The only sustainable way to empower people is to give them skills. You can give a man money or food, but if you give him a skill, you have given him a future.”
The former Sokoto governor explained that his decision to build and donate the edifice to NABTEB stemmed from his belief in the transformative power of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). He noted that empowering young Nigerians with practical skills was the surest way to tackle unemployment, poverty, and underdevelopment.
He said: “As a governor, education was at the heart of my administration’s agenda. We built and renovated schools, recruited teachers, and supported thousands of students with scholarships. “That commitment has continued in the Senate through my constituency projects and personal interventions, including the establishment of North-West University, Kalambaina.” Wamakko added that by strengthening NABTEB, he was helping to strengthen the entire technical education sector.
“NABTEB sets the standards for business, technical, and vocational education. By supporting NABTEB, we are directly supporting Nigeria’s future workforce and productivity,” he said. He pledged to mobilise other lawmakers, former governors, and business leaders to support NABTEB’s mission.
“This donation is just the beginning. I will continue to stand by NABTEB to ensure it has the facilities and resources needed to fulfill its mandate,” he added. Receiving the building on behalf of the Board, NABTEB’s Registrar/Chief Executive, Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, described the donation as a monumental act of patriotism and a testament to Wamakko’s visionary leadership
