THE National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted an approval to the Kano State Government to float a new university known as North-West University, Kano, with a strong warning to proprietors of public universities against undue political interference in the management of the institutions.As a first step towards grating some level of autonomy to the universities, the commission advocated a strong governance structures in the universities as a way of averting constant bickering between the Governing Councils and the management of the universities, noting that most of the frictions experienced in the recent had been due to the disagreement between the two over contracts.The executive secretary of NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, who offered the advise while playing host to Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who led a delegation of state officials from Kano to the commission to present the documents for the recognition of the said the North-West University was borne out if the desire to satisfy the quest for university education by thousands of youths of Kano State origin who apply yearly for placements into universities.With the approval of the new university, Nigeria now has 123 officially-recognised universities and 37th state-owned universities. It would be recalled that Kwakwanso during his first term established the first State University of Science and Technology (KSUT) in Wudil in 2000.On the governor's entourage were his deputy, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Gambo Salau, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, Farouk Lawan, Chairman of Kano Forum and a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Salim as well as the Coordinator of the University, Dr. Hafiz Abubakar.The development of the new university has been segmented into three phases to avoid congestion of programmes and running foul of the law. The first phase shall witness the establishment of six faculties, 14 departments and 19 undergraduate programmes covering the period 2012 to 2016, in the second phase, the six pioneer faculties shall introduce additional programmes and departments, while five additional faculties running 15 programmes are to be established, covering the period between 2016 to 2020.In the third phase covering the period between 2020-2024, the institution shall concern itself with the introduction of postgraduate programmes and establishment of the school of postgraduate studies.Justifying the establishment of the new university, Kwankwaso said Kano and indeed the North West geo-political zone had been listed in the educationally least developed states category status, no thanks to the low level of educational development. In Kano, in particular, he said that there had been a very clear demand for more universities.For instance, he said between 2000 and 2006, the zone produced on the average 37, 726 qualified candidates yearly for university admission, while all the universities in the zone could only admit a maximum of 20,000 candidates yearly. 'Kano State alone produced 26,696 qualified candidates between 2008 and 2011. But any of these could not get placement in existing universities-federal, states and private.'Besides, Kano is the most populous state in the federation, with its population currently projected as over 12 million, certainly two universities are grossly inadequate for such a state. A number of states less populous than Kano have five universities.'Okojie, however lamented the non-adherence to the rules of university growth among many state-governments-owned universities blaming incessant and undue interference by state governors as some of the reasons. He also identified poor funding as well as weak governance structures, noting that if the system was strengthened the universities in the country would be placed on a sound footing.
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