Ganduje receives letter of recognition for newly approved university in Kano

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has issued a letter of recognition for the take-off of the newly approved Sa’ adatu Rimi University of Education, Kano.

Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, made the presentation to the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Governor was accompanied to the NUC Headquarters by top functionaries of the State, including the Kano State Commissioner for Information and former National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Muhammad Garba.

The Governor, while thanking the Commission for approving the upgrade of Sa’ adatu College of Education to University status, disclosed that the new University of Education would focus on education to bridge the gap of shortage of quality teachers in the State, saying Kano State being the most populous State in Nigeria is constantly under pressure for infrastructure and human capital development.

He said: “Kano is the most populous State in the Federation and by implication has the highest number of youths, men and women, who require higher education. But we have one of the oldest College of Education and one of the biggest in capacity, quality, and student population.

“With the demand for higher education increasing daily, we requested for the College of Education to be upgraded to a University of Education. We are so happy that we are part of the history that the Commission under the leadership of the Executive Secretary, Professor Adamu Rasheed, has approved that Sa’ adatu College of Education to now become Sa’ adatu University of Education, Kano,” he said.

In his remark, Executive Secretary of NUC, Adamu Rasheed, challenged Governor Ganduje on sustainable funding of the University, reminding him that one of the challenges faced by University education in Nigeria is inadequate funding.

While stressing that there is room for establishing more Universities in Nigeria given the country’s population, Rasheed said some people, out of “ignorance,” have said that Nigeria has too many Universities, saying, “we have room to accommodate more Universities.”

He said one of the reforms being embarked on by the Commission was the devolution of curriculum development, which he noted led to the allocation of 30 percent of curriculum development to Universities in the new curriculum for the Nigerian Universities recently launched.

Rasheed added that the next plan was to ensure that about 70 percent of the curriculum development would be devolved to Universities. At the same time, the Commission retains 30 percent to enhance teaching and learning and allow for the institutions’ diversity and peculiarities.