Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger State, says the Students Exchange Programme (SEP) will promote academic excellence among young people and deepen unity among Nigerians.
Bello said this while declaring open a three-day 17th conference/workshop for Principals Monitoring Inspectors and Schedule Officers of SEP in 19 northern states.
The programme is tagged: “Improving Quality and Sustaining the Ideas of SEP in Education Emergencies’’ in Minna on Wednesday.
Bello was represented by Mr Emmanuel Umar, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
He commended education commissioners in the 19 northern states for coming up with the programme at a time the unity of the country was being threatened.
“The programme brings students together to interact, exchange new ideas and culture as well as build them for a better tomorrow.
“There is no better time than now when there are calls for division and separations.
“It brings about a united Nigeria, as it gives diversity of young people the opportunity to learn new ideas in a new environment, meet with people, interact and socialise,” he said.
The governor, who gave assurance to support the programme, said he was working on the communiqué that would be issued at the end of the workshop.
Hajiya Hannatu Salihu, the Commissioner for Education of Niger State, said the programme would improve academic performance among young people.
She said that the state government was committed to repositioning and revamping the management of SEP.
She said that this would be done through a comprehensive overhaul of the whole process in concert with other participating states.
Salihu urged participants to deliberate with all seriousness and assured them of full support to their recommendations toward the management of SEP.
Earlier, Hajiya Hannatu Goni, the Chairman, Monitoring Inspection Unit, SEP Secretariat, Kaduna said SEP was created to help sustain the socio-cultural and political ties among the participating states.
She described the theme of the programme as apt due to the challenges the education system was experiencing in recent times in the northern part of the country.
Goni said the communiqué that would be issued at the end of the workshop would be transmitted to the commissioners meeting for consideration and approval. (NAN)
