Education

Plateau State University Applauds Government for Donating Brand-New Bus

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

Preport

Plateau State University, Bokkos, has expressed gratitude to the government for donating a 36-seater bus to alleviate the transportation difficulties its staff and students face.

The university received the new bus on January 10, mere hours after requesting assistance from the authorities. Governor Caleb Mutfwang emphasized that the prompt response reflects the government’s commitment to collaborative governance.

The 17 local government council chairmen, led by the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ephraim Usman, officially presented the bus to the university management at the old government house in Jos on January 10. The donation, made through a joint effort by the local government councils, followed the university’s appeal to the Commissioner and representatives of the 17 councils.

Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Shedrack Best highlighted that most staff and students live 40 miles away in Jos due to accommodation shortages, resulting in daily transportation challenges.

“This has implications for service delivery in the university, as staff commute every day from Jos to Bokkos,” Prof. Best stated.

Governor Mutfwang commended the collaborative effort of the local governments and stressed the importance of synergy in governance.

“The states and local governments should prioritize efficiency over autonomy, as we need collaboration and synergy,” Mutfwang said. He also underscored the significance of supporting the university’s development. “PLASU needs to be facilitated in every way to gain its rightful place among universities in Nigeria,” he added.

Prof. Best thanked the governor and the local governments for addressing the concerns of staff and students. He also reiterated the university’s challenges, noting that over 95% of its workforce commutes from Jos due to safety concerns following the December 2023 crisis.

“We have relied heavily on vehicular movement for staff to get to their duty posts, but this has been worsened by the crisis,” Prof. Best explained. “We hope this donation will be the first of many interventions to address our transportation needs.”

The Acting VC also urged the government to consider providing more robust buses capable of navigating the challenging road conditions to Bokkos.

“We have seen the Metropolis buses, but they have limitations in terms of the quality of roads they can travel on,” Prof. Best noted. “We urge the government to find buses that can reach Bokkos so that our staff and students can benefit from this initiative.”

Masara Kim Acting Public Relations Officer Plateau State University, Bokkos

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Education

Former Edo Governor Obaseki Appointed Visiting Scholar at Boston University

Published

8 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Preport

Former Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki has been appointed as a visiting scholar and researcher at the African Studies Center in the United States.

The appointment was announced on Wednesday by the center, which operates under the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies.

According to the institution, Obaseki will use the opportunity to examine the achievements, challenges, and policy strategies implemented during his eight-year administration in Edo State.

The research, the center noted, is expected to generate valuable insights that could guide public officials and policymakers involved in economic reforms and transformative leadership across Africa.

Director of the African Studies Center, Nimi Wariboko, welcomed the former governor into the institution’s academic community, describing his appointment as beneficial to both the university and the broader scholarly community.

Wariboko explained that Obaseki’s engagement with academics and researchers would help strengthen his research framework while allowing him to compare his governance models with global policy approaches.

He added that the former governor’s final research output, expected to take the form of a book manuscript, would contribute significantly to the center’s academic publications.

“His presence will also revive the historic practice of the African Studies Center hosting distinguished African public leaders willing to share their experience and insights with the Boston University community,” Wariboko stated.

Reacting to the appointment, Obaseki described it as an opportunity to reflect on his years in office and document the strategies adopted during his administration.

“I am excited about this appointment and the privilege of being part of this world-class university,” he said.

The former governor added that the intellectual environment at Boston University would provide an ideal space for reflection, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas on governance and development.

Also commenting, Scott Taylor, Dean of the Pardee School of Global Studies, said the institution was honoured to welcome Obaseki and support his reflections on African political economy and public policy.

Founded in 1953, the African Studies Center is regarded as one of the oldest institutions in the United States dedicated to African studies and remains a major hub for Africa-focused research and scholarship.

Education

FG Approves N250bn For Student Hostel Construction Nationwide – Alausa

Published

3 days ago

May 6, 2026

Preport

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The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, says President Bola Tinubu has approved N250 billion for the construction of student hostels across tertiary institutions nationwide.

Alausa said this on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of governing boards, principal officers and chief executives of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.

He said the intervention marked the first major dedicated investment aimed at addressing acute accommodation shortages in Nigeria’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

According to him, the fund will support hostel construction in at least 50 tertiary institutions, with each expected to receive about N2 billion for at least 500 bed spaces.

He added that an additional N90 billion would be deployed through Public-Private Partnership arrangements to provide hostels in 24 federal institutions with 1,200 to 1,500 bed spaces each.

“We have several of those schools whose constructions have already started cumulatively, N250 billion in 2026 to provide student accommodation alone,” he said.

Alausa explained that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) would provide N1 billion counterpart funding per institution, while private investors would contribute about N4 billion each.

He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, describing his leadership as “missionary” and key to driving reforms in the education sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The minister said the president’s investment and policy direction had strengthened human capital development and positioned education as a central tool for national transformation.

He said that the ministry had received the highest budgetary allocation in the country for two consecutive years, reflecting the administration’s focus on education reform.

Alausa said the hostel initiative was a direct response to long-standing accommodation deficits in institutions such as Lagos State University and Yaba College of Technology.

He added that government was prioritising implementation-driven reforms guided by measurable outcomes rather than policy formulation alone.

The minister charged newly inaugurated board members to ensure accountability, strengthen oversight and improve institutional performance across agencies.

He also announced additional investments, including N130 billion for engineering and technology workshops and N120 billion for upgrading medical schools nationwide.

Chairman of the NBTE Governing Board, Prof. Babatunde Salako, pledged commitment to transparency, institutional strengthening and alignment of education with Nigeria’s economic needs.

The list of inaugurated members are: Prof. Babatunde Salako, Chairman, Governing Board, NBTE; Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Chairman, Governing Board, National Examinations Council (NECO) and David Shofoyeke, Executive Secretary, National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA).

Others are Prof. Garba Shuaib, Member, Governing Council, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State; Abdulrahman, Ahmad, Member, Governing Council, Federal College of Agriculture and Technology, Nabanje Kafur, Katsina State and Prof. Kabiru Dungurawa, Member, Governing Council, Federal College of Education (Technical) Potiskum, Yobe State.

Also in the list are Dr Bongfa Bonfa, Rector, Federal Polytechnic N’ Yak-Shendam Plateau State; Prof. Tijani Kalli, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama and Mr Abba Goni, Registrar, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama, Borno state.

Others are Mrs Aisha Halilu, Librarian, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama; Mr Bashir Zubairu, Bursar, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama.

Members of the Federal Unuversity of Techbology, Minna, Bosso campus co-sharing committee are: Prof. Idris Ali, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of State for Education as Chairman; Dr Ayuba Mohammed, Deputy Director, Academic Planning, National University Commussion (NUC) and Pastor Timothy Ademola as External Member of Council.

Others are Dr Oyeleke Olarinoye, Heda of Department, Nuclear Science, FUT Minna; Prof. A.A. Aliyu, Provost, College of Health Sciences, Ibrahim Badamosi University (IBBU) Lapai, among others.(NAN)