The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the North-West Development Commission, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, today received the Management of a Kano State-owned College of Education led by its Provost Dr. Muntaka Dahiru, on a courtesy visit to the Commission.
The visit was to seek collaboration and institutional support for the College’s ongoing conversion from a College of Education to a College of Education (Technical) and to explore areas of partnership in skills development, particularly in mining and emerging technologies.
In his presentation, the Provost expressed appreciation to the Commission for granting the College audience, describing the establishment of the NWDC as a major succour for tertiary institutions in the region that have not been able to benefit fully from federal interventions such as TETFund.
He disclosed that the College, which has existed for 11 years and currently runs Remedial, IJMB/Pre-NCE and NCE programmes, has initiated new certificate courses in Forensic Science and Cybersecurity, and Gemmology and Dimension Stone, as part of efforts to expand its capacity and relevance.
The Provost noted that the introduction of Gemmology and Dimension Stone was informed by the huge mineral deposits in the Doguwa axis of Kano State, which he described as one of the richest in gemstones. He cited that youths in the community realized about N40 million from gemstones scouted in the area last year, underscoring the economic potential of the sector. He added that the College has already established academic collaboration with the Department of Geology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, which has undertaken field visits to the institution.
On the conversion process, the Provost explained that upon assumption of office in March last year, Management submitted a memo to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, seeking conversion of the College to a College of Education (Technical). The Governor, he said, approved the request and forwarded it to the State Executive Council for consideration.
According to him, the conversion has become imperative because Kano State currently has no State-owned College of Education (Technical). The only College of Education (Technical) in the State is the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, located in Kano North, leaving a gap in Kano Central and Kano South.
He therefore appealed to the NWDC to support the College in its quest for technical status, through infrastructural intervention, laboratory and workshop equipment, and partnership in developing it as a skills hub for mining, gemmology, cybersecurity and technical teacher education.
In his remarks, the MD/CEO, Prof. Ma’aji, welcomed the delegation and commended the Management for its innovative thinking and alignment with the economic realities of the region.
He noted that the College’s focus on Gemmology and Dimension Stone aligns directly with the Commission’s North-West Mineral Value Chain Initiative, which seeks to formalize artisanal mining, train youths in value addition, and promote processing rather than raw export of mineral resources.
“The establishment of NWDC is to serve as a catalyst for institutions like yours. We are not just building roads and schools; we are building the human capital to drive the economy of the North-West. Your initiative on gemmology is timely. Our region is blessed, but we must train our people to benefit from what Allah has given us,” Prof. Ma’aji stated.
The MD/CEO assured the delegation that the Commission will review the submission and directed the relevant Directorates – Human Capital Development and Solid Minerals – to conduct a joint needs assessment visit to the College and advise Management on areas of collaboration, including possible designation of the College as a pilot Gemmology and Dimension Stone Skills Centre for Kano South.
He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to supporting state-owned tertiary institutions to attain technical status and meet national regulatory standards, particularly those that have not been captured under TETFund.
Signed:
Abdulrashid Y. Safana,
Director Press and PublicRelations.
23/09/2026.
