RSITIE VE S C NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION NI O U M L M A I S N S O I I O T N A N T E HO IC UG ERV HT AND S MONDAA PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Y www.nuc.edu.ng nd 0795-3089 2 March, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 8 Focus More On Research, ICT —— PMB at FUD Convocation On the efforts of FUD since its resident Muhammadu establishment, the President Buhari GCFR has said in the nation’s universities by stated that his administration Pt h a t w i t h g l o b a l directing bodies such as the was impressed by the economies becoming profoundly Tertiary Education Trust Fund knowledge-driven, Nigerian Universities need to be more research oriented, ICT-based and compliant. He stressed that such proper research orientation would impact directly on the quality of Nigerian graduates and nation’s development index. In the Visitor’s address at the 5th convocation ceremony of Federal University Dutse (FUD) recently, the President, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, mni, MFR, FNAL, noted that it was i m p e r a t i v e t o e m b r a c e Muhammadu Buhari President, Federal Republic of Nigeria technological knowledge in (TETFund) to do more in terms order to take the nation to its university’s ability to sustain of research promotion and zenith. and maintain a very stable and building ICT infrastructure in enviable academic environment tertiary institutions. He pledged that government since its inauguration in 2012. would continue to invest heavily in this edition All Universities Must PAMO Medical Have Enabling Laws University Holds First Founders Day - Hon Aminu Pg. 6 Pg. 9 EDITORIAL BOARD: Ibrahim Usman Yakasai (Chairman), Mal. Haruna Lawal Ajo (Editor), Ogbonnaya Okoronkwo, Mrs. Franca Chukwuonwo, Miss Bunshak T.S, Francis Azu, Udey Felix, Aja-Nwachukwu Samuel, Sadiq Abubakar Enquiries: [email protected] 2nd March, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 8 He urged the university management to remain resolute all sectors of the federation. He Some of these challenges he in promoting and maintaining urged the young graduands to mentioned include the scourge excellence. tak e ad v an tag e o f s u ch of hunger, diseases, terrorism opportunies by managing them and climate change. The Visitor applauded the well when enrolled and with a commitment and achievements view to becoming genuine In his speech, the Pro-chancellor of the university, especially with creators of wealth. and Chairman of Council, Alhaji the commissioning of several Ibrahim Akuyam said that the TETFund financed projects. He emphasised that the task of University had recorded rebuilding the country was a a d m i r a b l e m i l e s t o n e s . He express his delight that the collective responsibility and According to him, these U n i v e r s i t y ’s C o l l e g e o f challenged out as stakeholders to achievements were reflected in Medicine and Health Sciences know that they had a key role to the conduct of the students, the Complex had come on board, play. quality and relevance of stressing that these were programmes, quality and indications that the University discipline of both academic and management had effectively non-teaching staff, international keyed into government’s desire linkages and collaborations and to improve the capacity of the improvement of infrastructural nation’s health sector through faculties. e f f e c t u a l t r a i n i n g a n d development of the health Despite these achievements, he manpower. disclosed that the university was facing challenges in providing He assured that the Federal o f q u a l i t y s t u d e n t Government would continue to accommodation and addressing support and emphasize the scarcity of lecture halls and training and re-training of classrooms. He noted that with academic and non-academic the envisaged expansion of staff; ensure the periodic review Prof. Abubakar A. Rasheed programmes and a subsequent Representative of the Visitor delivering of school curriculum in line with his address growth in student population, national aspirations; promote the situation had become more entrepreneurial learning and President Buhari congratulated of an urgent priority project entrepreneurship as essential the graduands for successfully requiring attention. Alhaji ingredients for Nigeria’s completing their studies. He Akuyam expressed the hope e c o n o m i c g r o w t h a n d called on them to realise that that the graduands would be development. Nigeria had gone through a excellent ambassadors of the myriad of conflicts and institution wherever they might The President said that economic challenges which find themselves. Government was focused on required that youths with the curbing unemployment and had natural advantage of energy and The Vice-Chancellor, Professor i n i t i a t e d a n u m b e r o f technological flair should be in Fatima Batul Mukhtar, in her entrepreneurship support the forefront of reserving these convocation address said the programmes at all levels and in challenges. nation as a whole was facing Page 2 A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 2nd March, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 8 Chancellor disclosed that a total new educational and socio- Out of the 52 with first class of 785 undergraduate students e c o n o m i c c h a l l e n g e s honours degree, 15 were in from various faculties were characterized by competing Biotechnology, 14 from graduated with varying classes of demand for resources. She Microbiology, 6 from Computer Science, 1 in Forestry and Wildlife Management, 1 each in Criminology/Security Studies and Economics. A total of 162 graduands were also awarded postgraduate diplomas and degrees in A g r i c u l t u r e a n d R u r a l Development, Criminology, B a n k i n g , F i n a n c e a n d Computer Science. A major highlight of the convocation was a lecture titled “Facing the New Decade” which preceded the award Cross section of Traditional Rulers ceremony delivered by the Vice- President, Federal Republic of d e g r e e s i n 1 9 d i ff e r e n t commended the founding Vice- Nigeria, Professor Yemi programmes. Out of these 52 had Chancellor, Professor Suleiman Osinbajo, SAN, GCON. first class, 291 2nd class upper Amin for his vision in laying an excellent foundation for the institution. She stressed that the university had succeeded in establishing, and consolidating programmmes in Agriculture and the Sciences prioritising Science programmes over the Art and Humanities. She added that efforts towards digitalization and the provision of sufficient ICT infrastructure for both staff and students had brightened the university’s path towards formidable research and Procession scholarship. division, 105 with third class Present at the convocation were degree and 105 with pass degree. On the graduate output, the Vice- State Governors of Jigawa, Page 3 A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 2nd March, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 8 Kano and Sokoto, representatives National Assembly, Honourable General of the Federation, of other Governors mostly from Ministers, Accountant General Royal fathers, parents and well- the North, members of the of the Federation, Auditor wishers of the graduands. A cross section of graduands from the faculty of Science Photo Gallery Prof. Osinbajo delivering the Convocation Lecture L-R: Vice President Osinbajo in a chart with the FUD VC L-R: The representative of the Visitor presenting an award to L-R: The representative of the Visitor in a handshake with the best graduating student an award recipient Page 4 A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 2nd March, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 8 Photo Gallery L-R: Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammadu Sanusi (II) Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Abubakar Sa’ad, NUC ES, Prof. Rasheed; Gov. Jigawa State, HE Badaru and VP, Osinbajo Representative of the Visitor and FUD VC Standing (Front row): Sultan of Sokoto, VP (middle) L-R: FUD VC and Jigawa State Gov. (extreme right) Page 5 A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 2nd March, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 8 All Universities Must Have Enabling Laws - Hon Aminu he Chairman, House calendars and activities across from the Nigeria Police TCommittee on Tertiary the Nigerian Universities Academy (NPA), Wudil, were Education and Services, System (NUS), which, he yet to receive their certificates Honourable Aminu Suleiman, argued, had portrayed the from the school authorities. He has described as an anomaly that tertiary institutions in the insisted that such practice must some of the newly established country in a bad light. He called not be allowed to continue as Federal Universities are on the leadership of the NUC to certificates were not only the operating without an enabling Act of the National Assembly. He said this last Tuesday, when he led other members of the Committee on a routine oversight visit to the National Universities Commission (NUC), where he noted that the essence of the regular interface was to ensure that MDAs were operating within their mandate. Honourable Aminu, disclosed that the present 12 federal Universities were established in 2012 without laws establishing them. He lamented that it was wrong for government to continue perpetuating such Honourable Aminu Suleiman illegality without recourse to an Chairman, House Committee on Tertiary Education and Services speaking at the event Act of the National Assembly.