Following a lengthy debate and unanimous ratification of a bill requesting the creation of a new tertiary institution at Thursday's plenary in the Senate Chamber in Abuja, the red chamber granted its consent.
The measure was then forwarded to the Senate's Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for additional legislation and other considerations. The committee was chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jubrin.
Senators from all political stripes overwhelmingly supported the law, which was sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele. This demonstrated the bill's importance for producing top-notch technicians and human resources who would oversee the nation's economy.
The measure, which was first introduced in the Ninth National Assembly, was reintroduced on October 17, 2023, for discussion in the Senate Chambers, with a particular emphasis on filling in knowledge shortages in the environmental sciences and technology sectors.
Bamidele notably mentioned that the bill's adoption into law will produce top-notch technologists as well as human resources for sustainable development and exponential economic growth when he explained its relevance to the assembly.
In light of the numerous eligible applicants who are yearly turned away from the colleges of their choice around the Federation, Bamidele went on to say that the goal of the measure is to "create more access to university education."
"The university, when fully established as proposed, will definitely nurture unique technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and wealth management in its core areas of specialization and advance knowledge through cutting-edge research," the speaker stated.
The passage of this measure would contribute to changing the fortunes of education and technology in order to provide the skilled labor and knowledge that Nigeria so desperately needs to ensure sustainable development and accelerate its economic progress.