The Senate on Thursday approved the establishment of a Science and Technology University for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The Senate’s approval of the Science and Technology University for the FCT is coming 17 months after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, had at one of its weekly meetings in May 2017 approved the establishment of the specialised university in Abaji.
Presenting the report of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND at plenary for the establishment of the university, its Chairman, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North), urged the Senate to receive and consider the report of the committee for the establishment of FCT University of Science and Technology (Est, etc) Bill, 2018.
He urged his colleagues to approve the establishment of the university because the location is central and will generate employment opportunities for the residents of Abaji and its environ.
Senator Philip Aduda, PDP FCT, who sponsored the bill for the establishment of the university, told newsmen after plenary that all was set for the take-off of the university by next academic session.
He disclosed that collaborative efforts were being made to get similar passage in the House of Representatives for the required presidential assent.
According to him, 500 hectares of land had already been provided for the university in Abaji Area Council of the FCT aside blocks of classrooms and equipment also put in place by FCTA.
“As the senator representing FCT and the sponsor of this bill, I’m very elated with its passage today in the Senate and happy to inform you that required concurrence from the House of Representatives will be carried out soonest for the awaiting presidential assent being a project conceived and approved by the federal government in May last year.
“FCT needs a university of its own outside the University of Abuja established in 1988 to cater for more and more people seeking for university education within the territory and in Nigeria at large,” he said.
