Nwaorisara Kanu, Gombe
Gombe state governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, has undertaken a working visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, after an initial engagement with Bill and Melinda Gates and Aliko Dangote Foundations at Seattle, Washington bordering on Health and Human Capital development.
According to Ismaila Misilli, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor,Media. Governor Yahaya on Friday had discussions with the Deputy Secretary General, Hajiya Amina Mohammed and other UN officials.
He outlined the key priorities of his administration and sought for enhanced partnership and support, especially in areas of health, education and Agriculture.
He informed the Deputy Secretary General about the deplorable condition of some of the key sectors of the economy in the state, disclosing however that prior to his assumption of office, a needs assessment was carried out to establish a baseline to track progress in the critical areas.
The Governor said measures have now been put in place by his administration to address some of the inherited and identified challenges, including declaring a state of emergency in the health sector to tackle issues around Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and others, in addition to payment of all counterpart funding obligations with partners.
He said education is also under the state of emergency, with attention focused on primary, junior and senior secondary schools as well as adult and non-formal education, while effort to reduce out- of-school children is gaining momentum.
In the area of Agriculture, the Governor told the deputy secretary general, that Gombe has signed on to the National Livestock Transformation Plan of the Federal Government and plans are in top gear to revamp the grazing reserves in state, adding that farm service centers are currently being reactivated to ensure smooth access to agricultural inputs and extension services.
Governor Yahaya who described Hajiya Amina Mohammed as a proud ambassador of Nigeria, and Gombe state in particular.
In her remarks, the UN Deputy Secretary General appreciated Governor Yahaya for visiting her in her office, describing it as the first of its kind.
She said she has already set up meetings for the Governor with about 6 heads of UN agencies in New York to discuss on potential areas they could come in and support Gombe state.