NUC Finally Recognises Jigawa State University (JSU)
NUC Bulletin – National Universities Commission (NUC), on Wednesday, 17 July, 2013, recognised Jigawa State University, Kafin Hausa, as the 39th state university and 129th in the country. The Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Mahmud, who representedGovernor Sule Lamido, received the letter of recognition from the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, at the NUC Secretariat.
Presenting the letter, Professor Okojie remarked that, with the population of Nigerians seeking university education, more universities were needed to cater for the increasing number of applicants.The Executive Secretary said that he was always delighted each time a new university was established, noting that tertiary education was crucial to human capacity development in any nation.
He said that setting up a university was a big business and required thorough planning which some prospective owners failed to recognise, observing that some state and private universities found it difficult to pay salaries anytime there was adjustment in salary structure.
He charged the Governor to be ready for the daunting task of running the University and to be sure the state had a clear vision of what it intended to achieve. Professor Okojie, who gave a summary of university education in Nigeria, said that it was NUC’s responsibility to ensure that all academic programmes mounted by universities followed the Commission’s Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS).The Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Julius A. Okojie, presenting the letter of recognition to the Deputy Governor of Jigawa State acknowledged that Jigawa State had enormous resources that could assist in developing the University to become an avenue for greater development of its manpower.
The Executive Secretary advised that the Institution be planned in such a way that it would be uniquely focused on the needs and aspirations of its environment. He said that, with 128 universities, more expansion was expected, especially from the states and the private sector, to expand access.
In running the University, the NUC Scribe advised the State Government not to make unrealistic promises, with regards to operating a tuition-free education system, stressing that the time had come for cost sharing at the tertiary education level.
The Executive Secretary urged the Government to start the University on a small scale, to guarantee standards and relevance, rather than carrying large faculties that might distract it from its main focus and vision.
Source : NUC
