The exciting buzz in Southern Kaduna, a region with a population of over 3 million people with about 67 ethnic groups in Kaduna State, is that it’s about to get a federal university – termed the Federal University of Applied Science, Manchok – Something that has eluded the region for decades. For a region with more than 3 million people, the only tertiary institutions available to them have been the College of Education, Gidan Waya, the College of Nursing in Kafanchan, a department of the Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic in Samaru, and a campus of the Kaduna State University in Kafanchan.
These three institutions have not only been inadequate or lack the all-around specialty needed for 21st-century skills including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity needed for today’s global community.
Thousands of students desirous of that have had to compete for spaces in other places within the state, where one reason they usually are not admitted is the absence of merit in the selection process.
So, the news that the proposed bill for the Federal University of Applied Sciences had scaled to 1st and 2nd reading and slated for a public hearing, among four other tertiary institutions, by the Senate’s Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, created so much excitement among the people.
Consequently, the day of the hearing – Tuesday, 16 July 2024 witnessed a massive turnout because the people knew history was about to be made in their collective pursuit of knowledge for southern Kaduna.
According to the sponsor of the bill for establishing the university, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, Kaduna South Senatorial District, “The establishment of this university, with its unique focus on [specific field and approach], holds immense promise for us. Given the transformative role education plays in the development of every nation and society, this university is poised to channel the untapped potential of individuals into the most beneficial avenues of growth, offering a beacon of hope for our collective future.
He added that the urgent need to establish the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Manchok, “is underscored by the stark reality that despite the significant population of my senatorial district, the opportunities for tertiary education are severely limited. Many of our ambitious students are forced to seek tertiary education outside the state. This pressing issue further accentuates the necessity of a federal tertiary institution within my senatorial district.
In addition, this Federal University of Applied Sciences has the objectives of providing instruction, training, and research in applied sciences that will produce technicians and skilled personnel required for related industries within and outside the country;
The university is expected to act as an agent and catalyst for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation, and conservation of our country’s natural, economic, and human resources. This will enhance our national development and stimulate the local economy, creating job opportunities and fostering growth. This potential impact is a reason for optimism and hopes for the future.
It will also encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex, or political conviction the opportunity of acquiring a higher education in applied sciences.
It is also expected that the university will address society’s technological challenges and needs with the aim of providing solutions within national development, thereby playing a crucial role in shaping our future.
It will provide and promote sound basic scientific training as a foundation for the development of technology and applied sciences, taking into account Indigenous culture and the need to enhance national unity, among other objectives.
If the Federal University of Applied Sciences gets the nod of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then it is sure to help in reducing poverty, unemployment, poor health, shorter life expectancy, gender inequality, and a poor economy in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna, and the nation in general. Apart from Education being an integral part of any modern society, it is also a fundamental human right for everyone.
–Buhari writes from No. 2 Adonai Cresent Barnawa, Kaduna
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