Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has commended the initiator of Hill-Top Creative Arts Foundation “for brilliant thinking” and promised to support the yearly festival to achieve the desired objectives.

In his keynote address at the occasion, the governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, described the school festival as a platform for younger generations to discover their potential; hence, relevant stakeholders should ensure its sustenance.

The Hill-Top Creative Arts Foundation organised the sixth edition of Hadiza Ibrahim Aliyu Schools Festival (HIASFEST) at Justice Idris LegboKutigi Conference Centre, Minna, at the weekend.

Three states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, participated in the 2024 edition.

“I am pleased to be in your midst. A school festival is a platform where talents are showcased; therefore, I urge the organisers to keep up the good job,” Bago said.

According to him, the festival is not only to promote creative arts, but a platform to catch young talent.

Bago, on behalf of the state government, donated N10 million to the foundation.

The initiator of the HIASFEST, Bala Kwatu, explained that the idea of the school festival is to hunt talents, as well as build younger generations.

As part of commitment to create an enabling environment for the Nigerian child to thrive, HIASFEST, since it was established in 2019, has made significant impact in many spheres of human endeavour, Kwatu added.

He noted that HIASFEST, during the period under review, also established E-Library, Creativity Centre, named after the former Vice-Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Minna, Hadiza Ibrahim Aliyu.

The centre, designed to enhance education and entrepreneurial skills, he noted, has a Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre with 270 computers for Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams, indoor games, cyber security training, as well as radio and TV studio among others.

Chairman of the occasion, Prof Yahaya Kuta, who is the Pro-Chancellor, Abdulkadir Kuri University of Education, Minna, maintained that in literary world, you cannot gag or close gate on the literary community, because it would find a way to escalate.

Managing Director, Aliyu Trust Foundation, Aisha Firdausi, revealed that the Aliyu Foundation is primarily supporting and funding the activities of HIASFEST and other spectra of the society, such as academic scholarship, entrepreneurial loans, feeding programmes during Ramadan as well as support for schools.