The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government recently announced that it will establish the Federal University of Applied Sciences and Technology in Kachia, Kaduna state. Vice President Kashim Shettima made the disclosure during a visit to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Reverend Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, to commiserate with him over the demise of his brother and paramount ruler of the Ikulu Chiefdom, Mallam Yohanna Sidi Kukah. In addition to the university, which Shettima said President Tinubu had consented to establish, plans are also underway to establish the Federal Medical Centre in Kafanchan, in order to cater for the healthcare service delivery in the southern Kaduna senatorial zone.
Without a doubt, the news of the planned establishment of the university by the federal government has been hailed with refreshing optimism, with some predicting brighter days ahead. The decision by the Tinubu administration to establish the university has clearly shown that the president is not unconcerned with the yearnings of the people of southern Kaduna state.
The efforts to provide a university for the zone that is bereft of federal presence commenced in 2018 when the then lawmaker in the upper chamber of the National Assembly who represented the zone, Senator Danjuma Tella Laah, sponsored a bill to upgrade the Federal School of Statistics Manchok to a university. Despite the bill scaling through the legislative processes, the then President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent to bill into law, thus frustrating every effort to establish a federal university in the zone. In the 10th National Assembly, the senator representing Kaduna south senatorial zone, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, identified the need to re-introduce the bill, albeit, with some modifications in order to create a focus towards sustainable development in Nigeria. Thus, the new bill focused on applied sciences and technology, instead of the earlier thematic science and technology.
In an era characterised by lean resources available for execution of projects, some have questioned the desirability of a new university when the existing ones are underfunded. Some have even advocated the streamlining and reviewing of the number of universities in the country. However, one fact remains indubitable: there is a need for more universities to meet the educational quest of the teeming Nigerian youths. There may be many universities doing the same thing, but not many are doing what is actually needed to propel development and put the country on the path of technological advancement.
When viewed against poor infrastructure that is the bane of many universities in the country, especially those recently established, the new university is to operate on the new infrastructure constructed by the defunct Nok University Kachia that has now been handed over to the federal government, thereby eliminating concerns over whopping costs needed to construct new structures. The siting of the Federal University of Applied Sciences and Technology in Kachia will not only facilitate growth, but also accelerate the development the enormous agriculture value chain in the zone, Kaduna state and the nation in general.
Accordingly, the decision to establish the university in Kachia should be seen as the right step by the federal government. The role of science and technology is invaluable in the development of nations. Surmounting the challenges of nation-building is made easier when practical solutions in confronting these challenges are predicated on scientific research to solve problems plaguing societies and nations. The university, when established, would not only enhance applications of relevant technologies for development but also improve the capacity of government in broadening the prospects of knowledge economy in confronting the challenges of development. This is unlike other universities that are tailored towards proffering home-made solutions in fighting development hurdles that are gradually becoming an albatross to the nation’s development.
The proposed university in Kachia, being a unique ivory tower dedicated to research and technology, is to focus on scientific methods in developing solutions to practical problems. In a zone whose teeming youths can’t obtain university admission, the Kachia university brings new hope for admission seekers who are often unable to gain university education on account of their quota being filled due to the zone’s population explosion.
We commend President Tinubu for taking the bold decision to meet the yearnings of millions of citizens whose hope of broadening and realising new academic horizons is still a pipe dream. The collaborative efforts of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state, Senator Katung and other lawmakers from the zone have been crucial in pushing for the establishment of the new university. By announcing the decision to establish the university, President Tinubu has clearly sent a strong signal that his government is committed to running an inclusive government where no zone or region is left behind. We call on the president to speedily sign the Federal University of Applied Sciences and Technology Kachia bill into law in order to brighten the prospect of enthroning technology-driven innovations for national development.