President Muhammadu Buhari is to unveil the first strategic plan of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State, in the last quarter of this year as part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of the institute.

The director-general of MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu, made this known in Ilorin yesterday at a press conference heralding programmes lined up for the institute’s anniversary.

Aremu noted that though the institute would clock 40 years in 2023, the management deemed it fit to earmark activities for the next one year to be able to showcase the success stories of the institute on industrial union matters.

Noting that MINILS is part of the success story of Nigeria as a country, Aremu said it was remarkable that the country remained one united nation 61 years after gaining independence from the colonial master.

“For nation building, it is remarkable that Nigeria is still a united nation today because so many African countries that secured independence almost the same period like us had been broken while some are in tatters. Somalia and Sudan are examples of the African countries that have broken up,” Aremu said.

He, therefore, urged Nigerian journalists to celebrate the nation’s success stories and exhibit patriotism while reporting the challenges facing the country.

Aremu disclosed that in celebrating the anniversary, MINILS would remodel the gallery of Pa Imoudu, foremost labour leader who the institute was named after; and institute annual lecture in his honour to bring to fore his contributions to national development and in deepening democracy in Africa.

He said the institute also intended to endow Imoudu scholarship for unionists that would be studying industrial relations in the institute.

He added that projects such as administrative block and hostels would be commissioned during the anniversary.