The Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa would become the Federal University of Mining, Engineering, and Technology, Nasarawa, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval.
According to the presidency, this will significantly increase Nigeria’s attempts to utilise its abundant solid mineral resources and its technical education sector.
The idea, which was supported by Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada of the Nasarawa West Senatorial District, was approved, according to a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy.
Onanuga claims that Senator Wadada had pushed the Federal Government to turn the school into a specialised mining and engineering university, claiming that Nasarawa State’s abundant mineral resources make it the perfect site for a facility aimed at producing the skilled labour needed to propel Nigeria’s mining sector.
The school will be repositioned as a specialist university that offers instruction, research, and innovation in mining, engineering, mineral processing, metallurgy, manufacturing, and other cutting-edge technologies with the president’s assent.
Additionally, the new university is anticipated to play a key role in developing experts who can support the sustainable development of Nigeria’s natural resources, advance value addition in the solid minerals industry, and foster industrial innovation.
The move, according to the presidency, is a part of President Tinubu’s larger reform program, which aims to develop specialist institutions that serve vital labour shortages in important economic areas in order to link higher education with national economic interests.
The President has instructed the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and other pertinent agencies to start the legal, regulatory, and administrative procedures necessary to carry out the upgrading right away in order to guarantee a smooth transition.