…Tinubu has solved 60% of Southern Kaduna’s problems — Bishop Kukah
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Governing Council and principal officers of the newly established Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State, with a mandate to commence academic activities by September 2025.
The Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, who performed the inauguration on Friday, announced that the university’s operational budget has already been captured in the 2025 national budget. He clarified that unlike other newly established institutions, the Kachia university will not receive a special take-off grant, as all essential infrastructure and facilities are already in place for the smooth commencement of academic programmes.
Dr Alausa noted that the establishment of the university forms part of the government’s broader educational reforms, particularly its commitment to advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. He said the university will offer high-tech courses in Applied Sciences, with future plans to establish a College of Medicine.
He stressed that the creation of the institution is a deliberate effort to spur development in Southern Kaduna and ensure fairness and inclusiveness in the distribution of federal educational institutions across the country. “We at the Ministry of Education will give you all the maximum support. We’ll walk down the clock to ensure that this starts,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the Ministry has already written to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to include the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, in its portal for admissions, while resource verification by the National Universities Commission (NUC) is underway. He confirmed that the NUC is expected to visit the university on April 7, after which all preliminary processes would be completed.
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Dr Alausa added that the university will run programmes in Applied Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Sciences and Medical Sciences.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, described the establishment of the university as a significant solution to the long-standing developmental challenges of Southern Kaduna. “Nigeria may have its own problems, and will continue to have its own problems, but I can assure you, Honourable Minister, that 60% of the problems of Southern Kaduna now have been solved,” he said.
Bishop Kukah attributed the realisation of the university to divine intervention, and pledged the commitment of the Council to make the institution a model of academic excellence. He said, “By locating this University of Applied Sciences, you have presented tools to us. And I want to assure you that we will do everything that is humanly possible. Don’t be disappointed, Mr President.”
The Bishop also highlighted Southern Kaduna’s high intellectual capital, noting that the region currently has over 200 professors, a reflection of its long-standing tradition of education nurtured by missionary efforts.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, assured of adequate security for the university and all learning institutions across the country. He expressed optimism that the university would evolve into a centre of academic excellence and a unifying platform for Nigerians in the region.
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