The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the Gombe State University of Science and Technology, Kumo, as the 154th university and 46th state university in the country. Professor Abubakar Rasheed, Executive Secretary, gave the notice of the approval at the university’s academic brief and master plan in Abuja on Thursday.
Rasheed said the approval was with effect from October 26 stressing that the commission had notified JAMB, TETFund and NYSC appropriately on the new university activities. He pledged the support of the commission to the survival of the university. The NUC boss decried the proliferation of universities without adequate funding, facilities and responsibilities. He expressed concern about the dire need of more universities in Nigeria, adding that the carrying capacity of university was about 500,000.
“We don’t need to be reminded that over 1.5 million students write JAMB with the intention of gaining admission into the universities. Yet, the capacity universities can accommodate is just half a million, meaning many youths will be disappointed because they cannot get admission. This is the reason NUC welcomes any of such initiative because we do not want primary and secondary schools labelled as university,” he said.
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