FG to construct N18bn University of Transportation in Daura

President Buhari will on Monday participate in a ground breaking ceremony for the proposed University of Transportation, in his hometown, Daura in Katsina State.

The president who arrived in Daura, Katsina State, after attending the 5th Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, is on a five-day official visit to the state to launch the proposed specialised University and commissioning of Kwanar Gwante (Shargalle Road), which is off Kano-Daura Road.

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The construction of the university is expected to cost $50m (N18bn), the National Universities Commission (NUC), quoted the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi to have said according to information on its website.

The specialised university, which will be built by CCECC Nigerian Ltd, will focus on research and development of human capital for the transport sector. The President will depart Daura on Tuesday for Kaduna,” presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu said.

The project was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to develop qualified manpower that would manage the many railways facilities across the country and other transportation facilities, Amaechi had said during a recent press briefing in Abuja.

He hinted that in addition to Katsina, another Transportation University might be built in Rivers State to meet the growing demand of manpower in the transportation sector.

He said the contract has already been awarded to CCECC and the construction would have commenced if the governor of Katsina State had provided land for it, adding that once the state government provided the land, CCECC will mobilize to site and fence the land for construction to start.

He said the young Nigerians being trained on scholarship in China on Railway Engineering upon completion of their studies would be deployed to teach in those universities for a period of time before they are allowed to do other endeavours.

“If we get the land, the fencing will start this year. The CCECC has written to ask for land from the state government,” Amaechi said.