Implementation Committee for the taking off of the Niger State University of Education has expressed optimism that it will receive a positive response from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The chairman of the committee, Prof. Muhammed Kuta Yahaya, stated this on Friday, when the committee received a delegation from NUC who were on resource verification at the university.
He assured the committee that with the structures on the ground, they were ready to take off, adding that with the commitment of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to commit about N20 billion to the new university, there was room for expansion, which every university system needs.
Prof. Kuta Yahaya said that although the approval was for the NUC, on their part as a university, they have demonstrated that they have what it takes to transit from a college of education to a university of education.
"From what you have seen, many universities cannot boast of what we have here. We are not losing sleep over what we have here," he added.
He said Nigerlites should be proud of Governor Umaru Bago for seeking the revalidation of the Niger State University of Education, which was earlier approved by NUC in 2015, adding that the governor made it a priority to revalidate it, and it was approved.
The implementation committee chairman added that the dream of the committee was to see the university pass the resources verification examination so that it could take off in the next academic session, 2024/2025.
He said the committee immediately swung into action after the inauguration by the governor to see to the realisation of the dream, adding that their host, the state college of education, which was transiting to the university with all its facilities and staff, has provided support, and that with their visiting professors and those on sabbatical who were on ground, they have really shown that the university is ready to go.
He also appreciated the speed of work done by Prof. Faruq Haruna Rasheed, who worked on the initial concept of the university alongside some of them, stressing that the university will be a reality by the grace of God.
The NUC team, led by the acting Director of Academic Planning at NUC, Abubakar Ibrahim Gere, was taken around the facilities after a PowerPoint presentation of the university's structures was given by the secretary of the implementation committee, Dr. Abdul Hussaini, at the university mini conference room.