*Also Takes Over Gombe Hospital
The Federal Government has adopted the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in Ijagun, Ogun State, as a Federal University.
Established by the Ogun State Government in 2005, TASUED holds the distinguished position of Nigeria’s first specialised university of education. It was named after Dr Tai Solarin, a revered activist and the founder of Mayflower School in Ikenne.
As a federal institution, TASUED will be the first federally owned tertiary school in the Ogun East senatorial district. With a well-developed infrastructure and academic programme, the transition requires minimal federal investment.
President Tinubu approved the adoption on Friday and thanked the Ogun State Government for inviting the Federal Government to take over the school, one of the state’s best educational assets.
“It is an opportunity for the Federal Government to honour Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who began the revolutionary free education programme in Western Nigeria and Dr Tai Solarin, who spent most of his life educating our children and impacting patriotic and leadership lessons in them at Mayflower School in Ikenne”, President Tinubu said.
“It is also in honour of the Awujale of Ijebuland, who played a critical role in preventing the university’s closure in 2012, just seven years after its establishment,” he added.
Awolowo and Solarin were celebrated figures from the Eastern Senatorial District of Ogun State, encompassing Ijebu and Remo.
President Tinubu emphasised that TASUED’s transition into a Federal University of Education is a strategic step in the Federal Government’s commitment to bolster teacher education and enhance the quality of instruction across all educational levels.
With TASUED’s new status, the Federal Government oversees three education universities. Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education in Owerri and Adeyemi Federal University of Education in Ondo are the country’s other two universities of education.
Federal Government Takes Over Gombe Hospital
Also, the Federal Government has converted the Gombe State government-owned General Hospital, Kumo, into a Federal Medical Centre.
The Kumo Federal Medical Centre is the second federal medical institution in the state, after the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe, the capital. The teaching hospital was initially a medical centre before being upgraded into a Federal Teaching Hospital.
The Kumo Federal Medical Centre will serve as a tertiary health hospital, contribute to the training of medical personnel, and boost health care service in Gombe State and the Northeast generally.
Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya formally requested the takeover of the facility. President Tinubu approved the request, given the poor maternal and neonatal mortality indices in the Northeastern region and other health indicators in Gombe State.
The Federal Government also considered the State Government’s commitment to improving its health sector, which aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda, which has unveiled comprehensive reforms in the health sector.
President Tinubu commended Governor Yahaya for prioritising the welfare of the state’s citizens and stressed that the takeover would improve the state’s healthcare delivery system.