The Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago has issued N1million scholarship to 86 matriculating students of Abdulkadir Kure University to enable them to complete their first degree.
Bago also announced a N500 million donation to the university, which recently metamorphosed from the College of Education Minna to a full-time conventional university.
The governor made this known at the maiden matriculation ceremony of the 86 students of the school, during which he announced various opportunities and donations to members of the university community.
An obviously elated Bago declared, “Without mincing words, there is no more College of Education, Minna, standing alone. College of Education Minna has been absorbed by Abdulkadir Kure University. So, anybody who is working for College of Education Minna yesterday is now a staff of AKUM. (Abdulkadir Kure University). The provost and his entire team will report to the VC of this university.
“Not just College of Education, we are going to have many colleges such as the College of Agriculture, College of Medicine, College of Engineering, College of Sciences, College of Aeronautics. It’s going to have several colleges. That is how universities are built.
“Now, when the Pro chancellor was speaking, he spoke about the Kent State University Study Center. This university is going to host that center. Again, in our recent outing in Brazil, we were challenged that subnationals do not have research institutes. Therefore, the first subnational research institute in Nigeria will be warehoused in this university, and one per cent of the total revenue of Niger State will go to that research institute. It’s for agriculture science and innovation. That is why we have not been able to move on.
“So, without much ado, let me congratulate the matriculants and tell you that Nigerlites are happy with you and we are proud of you. As the governor who is pioneering this revolution, today all the matriculants, 86 of you, have N1 million each as scholarship. Again, we are giving the university to make sure that other faculties pick up and other colleges pick up, N500 million to kick-start those schools. Last but not least, we have secured N15 billion to build hostels and the new university’s Senate building.
“This is not a joke. We are going to take it very seriously, and we are not going to tolerate any indiscipline. We want to attract lecturers and professors from everywhere. We have secured scholarship and exchange programmes for some of you who are professors here. You may join us to be exchanged in other institutions. For those of you who are undergoing your masters and want to do your PhD, we have that scholarship to take you there. Those of you that have BSc and want to do masters we will also send you there.
“Even some of you here that are already admitted and matriculated we may take you if we find you worthy in character and learning, you can go. Now, we have Ostens University in Dominican for exchange programmes. I will give this university 50 slots, too. We will take students for medicine and medical sciences across the globe. Our desire is to give the children of the nobody to become somebody, and we will do that through education.
“So, I can assure you that education in Niger State will be the best, free but compulsory. You don’t have an option, you must study free in our basic and secondary education. At the university, we will subsidise, and some of you will benefit from foreign scholarships to study only medicine and sciences,” the governor further disclosed.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Paiko, in his welcome address, thanked the governor for gracing the university’s maiden matriculation with his presence, pointing out that the governor’s commitment to education was already transforming the state.
“We cannot thank the farmer governor enough. As you can see, he is expanding the frontiers of university education in Niger State. This university will carry forth your dream of sustainability, food production, and innovation. We are not just producing job seekers but job creators. We are pioneering a new crop of Nigerians who are entrepreneurs and innovators,” Paiko stated.
In his address, the Pro-Chancellor of the university, Prof Kuta Yahaya explained that the transformation of the school from a college of education to a full-fledged conventional university was part of Governor Bago’s vision to revolutionalise education in the state.
“This moment marks a significant milestone. It ìs a very important event for you, the students for us as faculty, and for the farmer governor.
“It is one of the milestones and projects that he has achieved as an administration. He found it fit to expand the frontiers of learning and inaugurate a university for us as Nigerlites and Nigerians.
“Your commitment to education is a beacon of hope for our state. We are proud to be the first Green University in Nigeria dedicated to fostering the transformative learning experience that goes beyond the traditional classroom. We are, therefore, the academic branch of your Green Initiative,” he said.
NAN
