The African Union Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, of the African Union, AU, has conferred two awards on Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal in recognition of his sterling leadership qualities, futuristic perspectives and championing of women/girls rights.
The awards presented in Abuja on Thursday are: “AU African Role Model and Envoy of Good Governance” and “Ambassador for the New Decade 2020-2030 African Women Financial Inclusion in Nigeria”, scheduled to be inaugurated on March 30.
The Nigerian Representative and Chairperson of the Council, Dr Tunji Asaolu, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser on Political Affairs and the head, Women and Gender Affairs Cluster Committee, said the recognition was in line with the monumental strides of Tambuwal in the educational sector as well as women empowerment in Sokoto state.
“The aims and objective of this is to champion this decade in Nigeria using this conferment to facilitate developmental project and support to Sokoto state while recognizing that the governor serves as a role model to others,” Asaolu said.
He stressed that over the years in the spirit of Pan Africanism, which was part of the basis of the AU, had waned but needed to be reawakened by recognizing those that could rejuvenate it.
“The purpose of these awards is to provide advisory opinions to governments in Nigeria and identify those that can champion the issues of Pan-Africanism, that has been moribund for long.”
While disclosing that Sokoto had been chosen by the AU for piloting program on the decade-long African Women Financial Inclusion in Nigeria, Asaolu lauded Tambuwal for transforming the education sector and bringing Gudu out of the status of the only grassroots area without a secondary school in the country to one that now has.
Describing the recognition as symbolising good governance in Nigeria, Governor Tambuwal noted that the country need to have strong institutions and establish a mechanism for articulating this, which the AU decade program will help in doing.
He also gave kudos to the AU for its sustained interest in harnessing resources- human and otherwise, to promote good governance across the continent.
The governor assured that the conferment of the awards will serve as a booster and encouragement to continue with what he has been doing to promote good governance.
Tambuwal admonished the team to visit Sokoto state to see things for itself and, especially assess the global laurels it has garnered from the World Bank under the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability And Sustainability (SFTAS) and the favourable rating of the state by the United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an agency of the United Nations, for its significant reduction of out of school children.
According to him, all these feats are born out of the belief he has that the state has a brighter future by promoting girl child education, which will prepare all the girls in the state for the future.
