Remarks by His Excellency, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya CON, Governor of Gombe State, on the Occasion of the Official Commissioning of the Gombe BPO Centre by the Vice President, H.E. Senator Kashim Shettima GCON, Monday 4th March, 2024.
Your Excellency, The Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON
Ladies and Gentlemen It is with great pleasure and immense pride that I address you on the occasion of the official commissioning of the Gombe BPO center, in partnership with Outsource Global. This state-of-the-art facility heralds a transformative journey towards positioning Gombe as a premier destination for business process outsourcing in Nigeria.
- I would like to warmly welcome the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima GCON, and other distinguished invited guests to this important occasion which is a testament to our unwavering commitment to fostering economic growth, innovation, and job creation, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
- Since coming to power in 2019, our administration has developed and implemented business-friendly reforms in order to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, thereby fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. This is evidenced in the emergence of Gombe State as number 1 on PEBEC ease of doing business ranking in 2021 and 2022, our recent ranking as number 1 in Nigeria on socioeconomic performance, as well as numerous other rankings that serve as recognition of our outstanding success in transforming the fortunes of our dear state.
- The BPO center we are commissioning today was one of the gains of the first Gombe Investment Summit which was held in October 2022. In our commitment to leveraging on information technology and digital economy so as to harness the creative energies of our youth, the Gombe State Government donated one of its skill acquisition centers, in addition to providing about 1 billion naira in funding for equipping the facility. With a capacity to accommodate 2000 individuals, The BPO Center represents a monumental opportunity for job creation and skill development, particularly for the youth of Gombe State. In the rapidly-changing landscape of our 21st-century economy, where digital literacy and technological proficiency are paramount, the center will serve as a hub of innovation and learning. Through specialized training programs and hands-on experience in areas such as customer service, platform management, technical support, digital marketing, research and analytics, our youth will acquire invaluable skills that are in high demand in today’s global marketplace.
- As we celebrate the commissioning of the Gombe BPO centre, I would like to reflect on our broader vision for unlocking Gombe’s human capital potential. From our investments in education and skills development, to support for youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, to the provision of affordable healthcare and social services. Through various transformative initiatives, we built over 1400 classrooms, employed over 1000 teachers, upgraded 5 secondary schools to mega-school standards, built integrated almajiri centers in each senatorial district, and mopped up over 350,000 out-of-school children and enrolled them into formal education. We also provided skills training for thousands of youths under the At-Risk-Children project, as well as billions of naira in grants to various MSMEs across the state.
- Our administration is among the first to embrace the transition towards e-governance. The introduction of biometric attendance system marks a genuine attempt to improve the productivity of our civil service, and provides job opportunities for 305 youths as biometric supervisors, thus providing real-time dashboard on employee performance. We introduced similar tech-driven reforms in our land and revenue administration systems in order to plug leakages, eliminate fraud and reduce inefficiencies. We are also working with various partners to ensure the digitization and automation of government institutions like hospitals, schools, courts, and government agencies; thus, bringing vital institutions on an integrated platform to ensure effective coordination, improved performance monitoring, and enhanced service delivery.
- Your Excellency, the decision to launch the ‘Outsource To Nigeria Initiative (OTNI)’ in Gombe is not a mere coincidence. It is a testament to the State’s burgeoning potential and the exemplary strides we have made in fostering an enabling environment for technology innovation and economic growth. Gombe’s commitment to creating a conducive ecosystem for investment and innovation underscores our dedication to leveraging on digital economy as a catalyst for socioeconomic development. By taking bold initiatives to improve infrastructure, streamline regulatory processes, and promote digital literacy, we have positioned Gombe as a beacon of opportunity and innovation in Nigeria, thus attracting both domestic and international attention.
- The partnership with Outsource Global highlights the tangible support we are willing to provide to businesses that choose to invest in Gombe State. This strategic investment not only creates job opportunities but also signifies our proactive approach to providing the necessary infrastructure and resources to attract and support private investment. I would like to reaffirm our commitment to creating an environment conducive to business growth and prosperity, where opportunities abound for investors and entrepreneurs alike.
- Your Excellency, distinguished invited guests, this BPO center represents just one facet of our comprehensive strategy to harness the talents and aspirations of our youth, empower our communities, and build a prosperous future for all. With the completion of the First Phase of the 1000-hectare Gombe Industrial Park, the designation of Gombe State as Special Agro Processing Zone (SAPZ), and the commencement of oil exploration at Kolmani, we are working with various stakeholders to equip our youth with the requisite skills and tools so as to take advantage of opportunities in these rapidly-growing sectors.
- In the course of establishing the BPO center, it becomes evident that challenges such as limited access to fiber connectivity and reliable power infrastructure continue to hinder our progress towards our broader vision of leveraging on digital innovation to deliver growth and prosperity. Given the Northeast’s exclusion from much of Nigeria’s infrastructural progress in rail, fiber optics, and power generation, I would like to appeal for increased federal and international development assistance to address these critical infrastructure gaps. By bridging these divides, we can unlock the full potential of digital innovation and propel Gombe and the entire subregion towards greater prosperity and inclusivity. I am glad that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as well as heads of leading ICT agencies, corporations and international development partners are here with us today. We hope to see concrete steps towards addressing these urgent needs of our people.
- I would like to commend our esteemed partners, Outsource Global, for their excellent collaboration in bringing this vision to reality. Through our partnership, we have leveraged the unique strengths and capabilities of both the public and private sectors to create an environment conducive to investment, innovation, and inclusive growth. Together, we have turned aspirations into reality, laying the foundation for a thriving BPO industry that will not only create jobs but also drive socio-economic development in Gombe State and Nigeria at large through the Outsource To Nigeria Initiative (OTNI).
- Gombe State government is committed to setting clear milestones and targets for the BPO center project in collaboration with Outsource Global, in order to ensure that our partnership yields maximum benefits for our people. By establishing measurable goals related to job creation, skill development, and economic impact, we will create a roadmap for success and hold ourselves accountable for delivering tangible results. Regular evaluations and assessments will be conducted to measure progress against these targets, allowing us to make informed decisions and adjustments as needed to optimise the project’s impact. Through this rigorous monitoring and evaluation process, we are dedicated to ensuring that the BPO center project fulfills its potential as a catalyst for socio-economic development and prosperity in Gombe State and indeed in wider Nigeria.
- On a final note, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all stakeholders, especially the Vice President, who have contributed to the realization of this ground-breaking achievement. I would like to assure investors that Gombe is open and ready for business. Together, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future for Gombe State and Nigeria at large, where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.
Thank you for listening.
God Bless Gombe State!
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!
