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5 days ago
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Education
September 11, 2025 by Frank Ikpefan, Abuja
The federal government on Thursday inaugurated the governing councils and principal officers of four newly established federal universities.
While inaugurating the councils on Thursday, Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed the commitment of the government to expand access to quality higher education.
The universities include: Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho, Oyo State, and Federal University of Health Sciences and Technology, Tsafe, Zamfara State.
Others are Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano, and Federal University of Education, Zaria, Kaduna State.
Alausa described the establishment of the universities as a strategic intervention by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He said the move was aimed at addressing pressing national challenges such as food security, public health, climate change, renewable energy, and technological innovation.
The minister said, “This is not just an expansion of Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape.
“It is a deliberate, strategic response to the urgent and interconnected challenges confronting our nation and the world.”
He noted the deliberate siting of the universities in Okeho, Oyo state was chosen for its vast agricultural potential.
Alausa added, “Tsafe (Zamfara State), in the North-West, lies in a region with abundant natural and human resources but in need of strengthened health and educational infrastructure to unlock its full potential.”
The minister urged the newly inaugurated councils and principal officers to provide visionary leadership, uphold merit and accountability, and protect university autonomy.
Alausa charged vice-chancellors to lay strong institutional foundations that would define their universities’ identities and excellence for generations to come.
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He reaffirmed the government’s commitment, in partnership with the tertiary education trust fund (TETFund) and development agencies, to provide infrastructure, support research, and strengthen institutional capacity through reforms in quality assurance, autonomy, and performance-based funding.
“We want universities that are not just established but empowered to lead,” he said.
He called on staff, students, regulators, and host communities to embrace a shared vision of excellence and work together to build institutions that reflected national pride.
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho, Oyo State, Sen. Yakubu Oseni pledged to work with all stakeholders to transform the institution.
He said the goal was to make it a hub for agricultural innovation, research, and technological advancement.
He thanked President Tinubu for the appointment and assured that the Council’s work would align with the administration’s vision to strengthen Nigeria’s education system.
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