The Nigerian Senate on Thursday successfully passed a bill aimed at establishing the Federal University of Agriculture in Bama, located within Borno State in North Eastern Nigeria.
Senator Shehu Lawan Kaka, representing the Borno Central Senatorial District, led the sponsorship of the bill. He emphasized to the red chamber that this university would harness the agricultural potential of the region, aiming not just to confer academic degrees but also to impart practical skills that enable students to become self-employed.
Kaka highlighted the crucial need for skilled manpower in mechanized agriculture and related research, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s competitiveness on the global stage. He asserted that the proposed university would address this need, garnering support from fellow lawmakers.
The bill, titled “A bill for an Act to establish the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship in Bama, Borno State, and to provide comprehensive provisions for its management, administration, and related matters, 2024,” received backing from Senator Ezenwa Francis of Imo South East Senatorial District, representing the Labour Party. Francis expressed confidence that the university would engage idle youths in agricultural enterprises, urging Senators to support the bill based on its merits, especially considering the absence of a similar institution in the region.
Following deliberations from various Senators, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, presiding over the session in the absence of Godswill Akpabio, lauded Senator Kaka for initiating the bill, acknowledging it as a long-awaited aspiration of the North East region. Barau endorsed the establishment of a specialized tertiary institution such as the “University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship,” deeming the timing opportune. The bill received unanimous support during the voice vote and advanced to the Committee on Tertiary Institution and TETfund for further review.
Barau expressed appreciation for Senator Kaka’s initiative, emphasizing the significance of adding a specialized university to the educational landscape of the North East, concluding with the sentiment “the more, the merrier.”