Nasarawa varsity gets N20m for take-off of engineering faculty

Nasarawa varsity gets N20m for take-off of engineering faculty

Saturday, September 14, 2019 3:43 pm


Nasarawa State University

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has donated N20 to facilitate the eventual take-off of the Faculty of Engineering of Nassarawa State University, Keffi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the money was to enable the take-off of the faculty in the 2020/2021 academic session.

Sule made the donation on Saturday during the 2nd stakeholders meeting of the university in Keffi.

He said that the establishment of the faculties of Health Sciences and Engineering would assist in providing the needed manpower to develop the state in those vital areas.

“As an Engineer, I cannot leave here without making my commitment for the establishment of the faculty of Engineering.

“I hereby donate the sum of N20 million for the take -off of the faculty of Engineering,” he said.

Sule commended the efforts of the founding fathers of the university, State House of Assembly members and other stakeholders that contributed toward the establishment of the university.

He also commended the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Suleiman Mohammed, for his development initiatives at the university and for organising the meeting toward proffering solutions to the challenges facing the institution.

The governor assured of his continued commitment to give adequate attention to the university so as to create an enabling environment for teaching and learning for the overall development of country.

Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Speaker of the State Legislature, commended the vice chancellor for organising the meeting aimed at addressing the challenges facing the institution.

Abdullahi, who was represented by the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Mr Daniel Ogazi, assured of the assembly’s readiness to pass laws and resolutions that would improve the standard of education in the state.

Earlier, Mohammed said that the 2nd stakeholders meeting of the institution was aimed at addressing the challenges facing the university as well as unveil his five years Action Plan to the public.

“This stakeholders meeting is the second since the inception of the university, this is to present the state of affairs of the university and also my 5-year plan.

“We strongly believe that the decisions to be taken today will promote the university and make it a 21st century university, which is the dream of the founding fathers of this university,” he said.

Mohammed said that his action plan for the institution was based on 12 objectives in order to take the university to greater heights.

“Briefly, the action plan is built on 12 clear objectives which are improved infrastructral development, institutionalise university culture, strengthen quality research.

“Promote staff and students welfare, address labour-related matters, meet needs of units, departments, centres, directorates, institutes and faculties, establish linkages with other bodies, improve funding, invest in technology solutions for teaching, learning and research.

“Improve standard and quality of academic programmes, address environmental sanitation and landscape through promotion of a green university campus and introduction of new programmes,” he said.

He, however, identified impunity, dilapidated infrastructure, and inadequate facilities, inadequate official vehicles and inadequate funding, among others, as some of the challenges facing the university.

“Funding challenges have been occasioned by the fact that the university pays 53 per cent (N145m) of staff salary while the state government pays 47 per cent (N129m) of the N274m) total salary bill.

“This has frustrated construction of new structures, limited the ability to rehabilitate existing ones and the establishment of new programmes.”

The vice chancellor restated his continued commitment to initiate good policies and programmes that would create an enabling environment for teaching and learning.


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