Laleye Dipo in Minna
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 41 academic programmes for the Niger State University of Education now to be named Abdulkhadir Kure University of Education with a suggestion that the university can take off in the present academic year.
Also, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has listed the university programmes in its 2024/2025 academic brochure.
The approvals followed ‘a Resource Assessment Visit’ to the university last week, which returned a positive report to the Niger State Government.
According to the report signed by Abubakar Girel, acting director, Academic Planning for the Executive Secretary of the NUC, which was in possession of THISDAY, he said: “I am directed to inform the vice chancellor that the acting Executive Secretary has completed and approved the establishment of the full time mode of the following undergraduate programmes to be run in the main campus with effect from the 2023/2024 academic session. The approval does not cover the part-time mode of the programmes.”
The letter further read that: “The vice chancellor is also to note that the approved programmes not started in the first five years of approval will be subject to another resource verification by the commission before it can be commenced,” adding that the programmes shall bear only the approved titles and nomenclature, and any change will require the approval of the commission.
The programmes include seven courses each in the Faculty of Science Education and Faculty of Education; 14 in the Faculty of Vocational and Technical Education, and 12 in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Education.
Girei enjoined the university to provide adequate human and material resources for the development and growth of the approved programmes.
Also, the Chairman of the Implementation Committee, Professor Mohammed Kuta Yahaya, while reacting to the latest development, expressed delight, saying the university scored 100 percent in all the assessments.
Yahaya disclosed that: “We are ready to take off immediately,” assuring the state that the institution will be opened to all Nigerians not withstanding their area of origin or religion.
On the name of the university, he said the government would do the needful by officially gazetting it after the state House of Assembly must have passed a bill on the issue.
