Date: 2011-07-12

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has called for collaboration with Commercial Banks in supporting the State Government’s policy thrust in the areas of agriculture, solid minerals and tourism to drive the state’s economy.

Receiving the management teams of Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) and Skye Banks in his office led by their Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers, Chief Gbenga Afolayan and Mr Durosinmi Etiti, the governor urged Commercial Banks to assist to drive the State’s developmental programmes through partnership with the State government.

Banks, the governor noted, should be seen as windows to fund developmental projects that would impact positively on the lives of the citizenry.

He said agriculture, like his predecessor, has been recognized by his administration as an important tool for driving the economy and in providing jobs for the youths to checkmate youth restiveness in the State.

According to him, the greatest challenges facing the country today were those of unemployment and youth empowerment, which he said were fast becoming security issues that must be tackled headlong.

Alhaji Ahmed told the bankers that the State government is now coming up with a Youth Empowerment Scheme through the establishment of a Vocational Training Institute in Ajasse-Ipo where youths would be engaged in productive ventures, in addition to the existing Vocational Centres in the State.

The governor also identified solid minerals development and tourism as other areas of interest to be explored by the State Government through the public-private-partnership scheme to take the State to the next level.

While assuring the management of the two banks of government cooperation and readiness to partner with them, Alhaji Ahmed expressed hope that the partnership would be beneficial to both parties.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officers of ETB and Skye Bank, Chief Gbenga Afolayan and Mr Durosinmi Etti had congratulated Governor Ahmed on his victory at the polls and expressed their willingness to collaborate with the State Government.

The two bank bosses told the governor that ET and Skye Banks had established a good relationship with the State government in the past, the gesture they promised to extend to the new administration to further propel growth and development in the State.

Abdulwahab Oba
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
12/07/2011