Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Ahmed Alkali at the weekend confirmed that the Federal University of Transportation, sited at Daura has commenced academic activities for 2023/2024 session.
He said the University now has principal officers/few support staff appointed; approval for take-off grant by the TETFUND.
He said waiver for recruiting of essential staff has also been granted.
The Minister confirmed this during the handing-over ceremony of the Federal University of Transportation, Nigeria (Phase 1), which was built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and donated to Nigeria.
The Minister said the University has been graciously placed on the nation’s budget by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to facilitate the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the university is unique in form, standard in structure and has satisfied the requirement of the National University Commission (NUC), which attracted the enactment of its establishment Act No. 34 of 2022.
He said building the university was part of the corporate social responsibility by the Chinese contracting firm, CCECC.
Speaking further, the minister, commended the CCECC for “the marvellous undertaking in support of educational development of Nigerian students and its initiative to hand-over the university to the Federal Ministry of Transportation for operation by management of the university.”
The Minister also commended the role of the pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umar Adam Katsayal, in working with the CCECC team to conclude Phase 1 of the project and for facilitating the handing over.
Alkali, stated that during his first inspection visit in October, 2023 after he assumed office as Minister of Transportation, the university had only the Vice Chancellor without principal officers, support staff with many outstanding logistics that are necessarily required to facilitate its take off.
He explained that barely seven months from October 2023, the Ministry under my leadership facilitated the release of some funds by CCECC from the capital allocation of Phase 1 of the project to fund logistics, travelling, sourcing for approvals for take-off, development of relevant documents for NUC, liaising with the Budget Office of the Federation, Accountant General of the Federation, Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, TETFUND, neighbouring Universities to secure mentorship, JAMB and the Federal Ministry of Education.
‘’As a result of this intervention and personal contacts with Ministries, the university has commenced academic activities for 2023/2024 session with principal officers/few support staff appointed; approval for take-off grant by the TETFUND has been granted, waiver for recruiting of essential staff has also been granted and the University has been graciously placed on the nation’s budget by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to facilitate the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda, given the role of transportation as an enabler of economic growth; Alkali stated.
Also, the Executive Governor of Katsina state, Dr. Umar Dikko Radda, who is the governor of the host community to the university commended the federal government for their enormous support for considering establishing of the university .
