The Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, Kaduna State, will begin academic activities this year. Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing are emerging as the top programmes.
This follows the official transfer of the institution’s Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) from the Kaduna State Government to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, confirmed the development in Abuja when Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani handed over the Certificate of Occupancy to him.
He assured Governor Sani that all necessary financial provisions had been made to ensure the university‘s smooth start.
“This university is going to take off. We already have the National Assembly‘s approval for the personnel, the recurrent overhead, and the capital budget in the 2025 budget,” Dr Alausa said.
He further announced that the institution would admit its first batch of students in the 2025 academic year, reinforcing the government’s commitment to expanding higher education opportunities.
The minister also pledged to secure funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to accelerate the university‘s development.
“I’ll ensure the university also gets a TETFund allocation this year. So, this is a happy day for the people of Southern Kaduna, the people of Kaduna, and the people of Nigeria at large,” he stated.
With the formal handover of the Certificate of Occupancy, the Federal Government now assumes full ownership of the university, paving the way for its official commencement. “Over 200 hectares of land are being transferred by the Kaduna State Government to the Federal Government via the Federal Ministry of Education. We now have full ownership of this university,” he said.
Alausa said the university would offer Science courses, especially in the medical sciences, which are priority areas for the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, even as the ministry focuses on STEM, Vocational and Technical education, and skill acquisition.
“The Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, would be offering courses in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and applied sciences in areas such as applied mathematics, computers, AI and machine learning, and environmental studies, among others,” he said.
Governor of Kaduna State Uba Sani said the University of Applied Sciences Kachia is very special as it would engender development because of the nature of its courses, as the Honourable Minister of Education spelt out. “We believe that science is something significant and critical and will help Kaduna develop,” he said.
He said the land given to the University by the Kaduna State government is as large as a whole district and far more significant than many universities in the country. “We are here with the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), about 270 hectares of land. It’s a whole district and bigger than many universities nationwide,” he said.
He commended Nigerian President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the FEC approval, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and Senator Sunday Marshal, representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, for their unwavering support that made the university a reality, especially the seamless transition.
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