By MUHD. HAMISU ABDUILLAHI

Reading the communiqué of the event to journalists shortly after the closing ceremony of the exercise yesterday in Kano, the state commissioner of commerce, industry and cooperatives, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmad Yakasai said human capital is one of the problems.
The commissioner, who is also the chairman, steering committee of the summit said participants also observed that there is inadequate manpower in the state due to low enrolment of Kano youth into tertiary institutions, and lack of technical and vocational education that would foster entrepreneurship development.
This, he said, is in addition to inadequate investments in education, pointing out that another factor responsible for the decline is inadequate infrastructure in terms of erratic electricity supply, bad road networks and inadequate water supply.
He told journalists that the summit has identified lack of well thought-out industrial and cooperative policies for eradicating the development path of the state as another factor.
Others are insecurity due to political crisis and sporadic social unrest, unutilised Information and Communication Technology (ICT) opportunities as the state is yet to take full advantage of the business, investments and knowledge opportunities offered by the ICT and inefficient property documentation and registration system.
In view of the above, the summit recommended the development of versatile human capital fully equipped to competently handle the emerging knowledge-driven economy and that basic education should encompass the values of society such as religion and culture.
It recommended that to ensure offerings in Kano University of Technology and other tertiary institutions must cover disciplines that are related to manpower needs.
It further recommended that the state must exploit existing opportunities in all national and international support programmes relevant to the educational system in addition to the need for it to introduce computer education and produce properly trained teachers in a cheap but efficient way.
Another recommendation of the summit, according to the commissioner is on the need for good democratic governance anchored on strong institutions like legislature, judiciary, the police and civil service, which are imperative in nurturing democracy.
Also efficient service delivery was identified as crucial to economic development and that the state government was advised to strengthen the public media in the state through the provision of the necessary facilities and training.
Traditional institutions in the state, the summit recommended, should be actively involved in public affairs, adding that especially such institutions should be the platform for conflict resolution.
Greater effort in women empowerment especially in the area of education and income was recommended too.
It was also recommended that visionary, effective and focused leadership at all levels of the polity and society should be in place, while participants acknowledged and commended Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the state and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero in promoting societal reorientation, providing leadership by example and creating an atmosphere of peace and stability.
Other recommendations are on the need for supportive, open-minded, selfless and industrious society in which individuals and groups are motivated to invest their energy and resource in promoting the common goal, modernising agriculture, creating a business environment which supports growth of manufacturing and industrial activities and recognising digital technology as the emerging dominant factor in global economic growth and property and positioning Kano to fully exploit the new opportunities.