National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the full recognition of Niger State University of Education, Minna, as a university of education.
NUC acting executive secretary, Chris Maiyaki, made the disclosure during the visit of the Niger State governor Mohammed Umar Bago to the headquarters of the commission in Abuja yesterday.
Maiyaki, who read a letter conveying the approval, said the institution initially secured conditional recognition as university of education in 2013, but some of the conditions were never met by the successive administrations in the state until the coming on board of Governor Bago.
He said with the new development, Niger State University of Education is now fully recognised as the 63rd state-owned university in Nigeria.
“It will be recalled that Niger State University of Education, Minna, was recognised as a duly established university in the Nigerian University System by the National Universities Commission.
“But that recognition was contingent to a formal concurrent in writing by the incoming administration as of at that time and its willingness to retain the university, but the process was never consummated by the successive Niger State administrations, until this government requested the activation of the NUC earlier recognition of Niger State University of Education, Minna,” Maiyaki said.
The acting NUC boss said the new university was approved following the presentation of relevant documents, including the gazetted university’s law, academic brief and masterplan.
While saying that the new recognition of the university takes effect from Thursday, September 28, 2023, Maiyaki said other relevant government agencies like the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) would be informed of the new status of the institution.
He, however, urged the governor to lift the facilities in the new university, adding that the NUC is ready to provide the needed guidance to ensure the institution lives up to expectations.
Earlier, Governor Bago said the visit was to congratulate Maiyaki on his new position as acting executive secretary of NUC and share his passion for the massive development of the education sector in the state.
Bago said: “In 2013, my predecessor had come here to convert Niger State College of Education, Minna to university of education, somewhere along the line, it became a mirage, but with the guidance of Professor Yahaya Kuta, we have come to rekindle that ambition.
“Second, the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB)University, Lapai, is desirable and has applied for medicine; we want to appeal to you to expedite the approvals so that we can have the full curriculum for medical studies.
“Third, the Federal College of Education in Kontagora is supposed to be a university of education too, we want to see that become a reality,” he said.
