Posted by Niger State University of Education, Minna, has had its status as a university of education revalidated by the National Universities Commission, NUC.
This was announced by NUC’s acting executive secretary, Chris Maiyaki, on Thursday in Abuja, during a visit by Niger State’s governor, Mohammed Umar Bago.
The permission was announced via a letter read by Maiyaki, who said that the university had been granted provisional recognition as a university of education in 2013, but that some of the conditions had not been completed by the succeeding administrations in Niger State until Bago came on board.
He noted that as a result of this change, Niger State University of Education is now the 63rd state-owned university in Nigeria.
Remember that the National Universities Commission in Nigeria officially acknowledged Niger State University of Education in Minna as a legitimate institution of higher learning in the country.
However, as Maiyaki explained, “that recognition was contingent on a formal concurrent in writing by the incoming administration as of at that time and its willingness to retain the university,” and “the process was never consummated by the successive Niger State administrations” until now.
Following submission of the institution’s Law, academic brief, and masterplan, the interim head of the NUC stated that the new institution had been approved.
When asked if other government agencies, such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), would be informed of the university’s new status, Maiyaki said that they would be as of Thursday, September 28, 2023.
However, he urged the governor to improve the new university’s infrastructure, saying that the NUC stands ready to offer any advise it thinks is essential to make sure the university meets its goals.
The governor of Niger came to congratulate Maiyaki on his appointment as the interim executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and to discuss plans for expanding the state’s educational infrastructure.
After saying that “my predecessor had come here in 2013 to convert Niger State College of Education, Minna to university of Education, somewhere along the line, it became a mirage,” he went on to say that “with the guidance of Professor Yahaya Kuta, we have come to rekindle that ambition.”
“Secondly, the IBB University Lapai is interested in and has applied for Medicine, and we write to ask that you (as acting NUC Executive Secretary) move swiftly to grant the necessary approvals so that we may offer the whole set of courses required for medical education.
We would also like to see the Federal College of Education in Kontogora realize its potential as a full-fledged university.
The Federal Polytechnic in Bida wants to become a degree-granting university, and there have been numerous private efforts toward this end.
Bago has stated that the new state law establishing an education trust fund means that funding the new institution will not be an issue.
“Niger State just passed a law on Education Trust Fund, every contract of government, every transaction within the state is charged one percent for Education Fund,” he explained.