By Chidiebere Ugwu
On the evening of May 9, 2024, when the Minister ‘s entourage drove into the campus of Federal University of Transportation, Daura, in Katsina State, North West Nigeria, as the blazing northern sun was began to set.
Understandably, the Minister, Senator Sa’id Alkali and his entourage were exhausted from a long day of inspection of the ongoing railway projects from Kano end of the Lagos-Kano Rail Line, to the Kano-Maradi standard gauge rail line, but the palpable energy and enthusiasm among the young students were energizing and encouraging.
Federal University of Transportation Daura which opened its doors for the first time for academic sessions just two months ago, is a beauty of architecture to behold.
Sitting on a very large expanse of land with various blocks including classrooms, admins, hostels, Cafeteria, the layout is excellently planned to make the maximum utilization of the facilities.
One of the students Abdullahi Umar, a one hundred level engineering student described the facilities as simply ‘amazing’.
Recounting the efforts made by federal government to ensure the school is opened for academic sessions, Senator Alkali said:
“First and foremost, when I took over as the Minister of Transportation, I was directed by the President and Commander in Chief, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to continue with all the existing contracts, not only to continue to sustain the contracts with the ministry of transportation. So I went out for any inspection tour of all the railway projects in the ministry. I came to Federal University of Transportation Daura, which was constructed by CCECC Nigeria Limited, our contractor in the ministry as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. So when I came, I met a very beautiful edifice but unfortunately, only a Vice Chancellor was appointed.
“And you know in university you need four principal staff to take off. The Vice Chancellor, the bursar, the librarian and the Registrar.
So what I did was to approach National Universities Commission (NUC), to appoint a mentor university for us so that they will be able to start admissions against 2023/2024 academic year.
“The NUC appointed Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) to mentor the Federal University of Transportation Daura. Another challenge we had then, was that the university was not captured in the federal government 2023 appropriation year, so I approached CCECC to raise some funding for us as quick means, so that it will give us support to start academic against 2023/2024. Graciously President Ahmed Bola Tinubu approved the university to be listed in the 2024 appropriation.
“Having said that, we equally contacted NUC to come and do accreditation so that we will be able to commence our academic activities. But another challenge we had then, JAMB had closed its portal for admission so we had to approach JAMB to open a portal for change of institutions, graciously students applied for change of institutions from other institutions they had applied earlier on, to Federal University of Transportation Daura. After the accreditation, the school admitted over 500 students, enlisted in over 14 disciplines. So we have started the admission and we outsource lecturers on visiting basis. So here we are, you can see lectures have commenced. We have gone round, you see the lecture theaters, I am impressed and I thank CCECC for this laudable gesture. I thank the Ministry of education and the NUC, and of course, I give a very big kudos to the Vice Chancellor, for his performance”.
Undoubtedly, the Minister is not the only person that is impressed by the school so far, “I feel so lucky to be part of the inaugural class here,” says Cordelia Enoch, a fresh student from southern part of the country. “It’s a chance to shape the culture and traditions of the university from the very beginning.” She added.
Miss Enoch, who read a speech on behalf of the students noted: “Under your guidance, the Federal University of Transportation has flourished, becoming a centre of excellence where students receive world-class education and training in transportation engineering, management, safety and related disciplines. Your dedication to providing state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge research opportunities, and top-notch faculty has enabled us to excel academically and prepare for successful careers in the transportation industry”.
However, she called the government to also continue to work harder to make learning more comfortable in the institution by continuous improvement on the facilities..
“Today, I stand before you to humbly request your support in addressing a pressing issue that affects the well-being and academic success of our students: the lack of electricity and air conditioning (AC) in our hostels and auditorium.
“As you know, our hostels serve as the home away from home for many students, providing a conducive environment for learning and personal growth. However, the absence of reliable electricity and AC poses significant challenges, particularly during the scorching heat of summer months. Without adequate cooling and ventilation, students are forced to endure uncomfortable living conditions that can adversely affect their health, well-being, and academic performance” stated Enoch.
Meanwhile, the Minister charged the CCECC to endeavour to solve all the teething problems outlined by the students.
The Deputy Managing Director of CCECC Nigeria Limited, Mr. Han Shuang, while responding likened the university to a newborn baby that will be painstakingly nurtured to adulthood, assuring the students that all the identified problems would be solved one at a time.
