The Senate, through its Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, has commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing more federal universities in the country.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse, gave the commendation during a public hearing on three crucial bills for the establishment and amendment of some federal institutions across the country.

The bills include: A bill to provide for the upgrade of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, to the Federal University of Technology, Asaba, Delta.

The other two are the Federal College of Education (Special) Karaye, Kano State (Establishment) Bill and the Federal University of Education Gumel, Jigawa (Establishment) Bill.

Mr Dandutse said, “I want to sincerely appreciate the president for his efforts in moving the educational sector forward in this country.”

According to Mr Dandutse, the three bills are crucial to the development of Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

He added that the bills reflected the collective aspirations to expand access to higher education and enhance the quality of training across institutions.

He said, “The Federal University of Technology Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to amend key provisions in the principal Act to align it with contemporary realities and global best practices. This amendment is crucial in strengthening the operational frameworks of our universities of technology and ensuring they fulfil their mandates in research, innovation, and manpower development.

“The Federal College of Education (Special), Karaye, Kano State (Establishment) Bill, 2024, proposes the establishment of a specialised institution dedicated to inclusive education. This is with a focus on training professionals equipped to work with persons with special needs, a significant step toward addressing the educational gap for differently abled individuals and promoting inclusive growth. The Federal University of Education, Gumel, Jigawa State (Establishment) Bill, 2025, aims to upgrade teacher education and provide a platform for advanced learning in pedagogy and curriculum development.’’

The chairman assured that the committee was fully committed to legislative interventions that were evidence-based, participatory, and responsive to the needs of citizens.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, declared the event open, saying the gathering is a testament to the Senate’s commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusive governance in shaping the future of Nigeria’s educational sector.

Mr Akpabio, who was represented by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, said that education played a pivotal role in driving national development and equipping youths with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed and compete globally.

“The bills under consideration before us today are crucial to the growth and development of our educational system and they seek to address some of the pressing challenges facing our tertiary institutions,” he stated.

He assured that the Senate remained committed to promoting quality education and ensuring institutions met global standards.

“We recognise the importance of collaboration and partnership in achieving these goals,” he said.

Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta) sponsored the bill to provide for the upgrade of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba to the Federal University of Technology, Asaba.

He said that the bill was rooted in a clear and urgent national need – to expand access to quality, technology-driven education.

He stated, “The bill is also to bridge the existing regional gap in the distribution of federal universities of technology. The South-South geopolitical zone, in spite of its vast contributions to Nigeria’s economy, particularly in oil, gas and manufacturing, currently has no Federal University of Technology. This bill aims to correct that imbalance by transforming a long-standing institution with strong technical foundations into a full-fledged university equipped to meet Nigeria’s 21st-century development needs.’’

(NAN)