Kehinde Fajobi
The Senate’s initiative to establish the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship in Bama, Borno State, gained robust support during a public hearing held on Monday.
The hearing, organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND, featured enthusiastic backing from various stakeholders.
Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC, Borno Central), the bill’s sponsor, highlighted that this proposed university would be the first of its kind in Africa.
He stressed the importance of creating a specialised institution that focuses on agriculture and entrepreneurship, aiming to tackle Nigeria’s high unemployment rate and over-reliance on white-collar jobs.
“The proposed university, which focuses on agriculture and entrepreneurship, will provide a platform for youths to transform opportunities into business ventures and, accordingly, manage those ventures to become a medium for job creation for themselves and others,” he said.
Kaka elaborated on the significance of entrepreneurship education, stating it equips students with the necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes, and motivation for success in various fields. This education empowers them to identify investment opportunities and maximise returns, ultimately making them self-sustaining contributors to the economy.
The senator underscored the urgency of establishing the university to address the alarming youth unemployment rate in Nigeria, which currently ranks second globally only to South Africa.
“Disheartening is the fact that, according to the Spectator Index (a global youth unemployment index), Nigeria has an astronomical 53 per cent youth unemployment rate, placing it second only to South Africa, which has 61 percent youth unemployment. These worrisome statistics have negative effects on the nation generally, as they lead to a geometric rise in social vices and crime in society, all in the quest for survival. The required solution, however, lies in the proposed university that focuses on agriculture and entrepreneurship education, preparing the youths to be responsible and enterprising,” he explained.
Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, the Committee Chairman, reinforced the importance of the proposed institution, stating, “The proposed Entrepreneurship University in the area of Agriculture, when established, would raise a generation of job creators and not job seekers.”
Borno State Governor Professor Babagana Zulum, alongside the Shehu of Bama, Dr Ibn Umar Kyari El-Kanemi, and other local leaders, expressed their gratitude to the Senate for this legislative initiative.
They pledged to utilise the planned institution to transform Borno State’s economic landscape and enhance the livelihoods of its residents.