By Muhammad Goronyo, Sokoto
Sokoto state government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State of Qatar on the development of education, health and agriculture.
This was contained in a release signed and issued to newsmen in Sokoto by the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Bello Muhammad.
The release further said this is just as the State of Qatar signs another MoU with the late Sultan Maccido family and Futures Leaders, an accredited non governmental organization to the Qatar Charity on the management of AWQAF (donated assets) projects in the state and the country in general.
Under the second agreement the Maccido family will hand over a six hectares piece of land in Sokoto metropolis to the Qatar Charity for the construction of an AWQAF school, clinic, hostels, boreholes, bakery and mosque “for the welfare of orphans in Sokoto state and Nigeria at large,” explains Mallam Muhammad Lawan Maidoki, Chairman of the Sokoto state Zakkat and Waqf Commission (SOZECOM).
Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state and Dr Ali Ghanem al-Hijr, the Qatari ambassador to Nigeria, took turns to append their signatures to the first agreement signifying their consent to pursue their future courses of action.
According to Gov. Tambuwal, the areas of envisaged collaborations are: the establishment of the Nana Asma’u (All Girls) University under the auspices of the Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar Foundation, provision of equipment/personnel for the soon-to-be-complete 1200-bed Sokoto State University Teaching Hospital (SOSUTH), and assistance for orphans, particularly in the area of education among others.
While appreciating the collaboration being offered by Qatar, he observed that “there is no greater investment than developing human potentials. Once you are kind to his creatures, Allah says He will also be kind to you.
In his remarks, Amb. al Hijr, who was accompanied by Dr Hadi Abdou, the Director Qatar Charity, Nigeria, noted that Sokoto state’s great potentials and its status as an ancient empire State that is very unique in the Africa, was why his country is willing to partner the state government.
