Nigerian govt inaugurates governing councils for agric universities.

More than a year after their appointments, the Nigerian government on Thursday inaugurated governing councils for four federal universities of agriculture.

The five-member council in each of the institutions are government appointees on a four-year tenure.

The concerned institutions include the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; Abia State; Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, and Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, Kebbi State.

Sources confirmed that unlike their counterparts in other non-specialised universities, the inauguration of the four councils had been delayed over the controversy on whether they would be accountable to either the Ministry of Education or its Agriculture counterpart.

But President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the institutions should be domiciled under the education ministry.

Inauguration

Inaugurating members of the governing councils on Thursday at the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, charged them to look outward and explore opportunities to attract funding to their respective universities.

He said: “The Council is expected to make deliberate efforts to diversify the sources of funding and support for the university.

“In these trying economic times and the government’s desire to bring in more private sector participation in our tertiary institutions, I want to charge you to come up with ideas that will generate more revenue, outside government allocations.

“To this end, the Councils should look outwards and enlist the support of philanthropic organisations and individuals for additional funding of projects in the institutions. In addition, the Council can explore other sources of revenue through endowments.”

Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, Mr Adamu noted that the government is looking forward to the success of these universities in Research, Science and Technology, to help in the advancement of agriculture.

Composition

The appointees in the governing councils for each of the universities are FUNAAB: Umar Ahmed (Chairperson), Inuwa Tahir (member), Patrick Omeke, (member), Adegboyega Adebajo (member) and Celina Gana (member).For Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, are Chidinma Uwajimogu (Chairperson), Enadeghe S.E (member), Nancy Torhee (member), Antibas Elnathan (member) and Adamu Sani (member).At the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abubakar Sodangi, a former senator, (Chairperson), Leonard Nzadon (member), Kevin Ojob, an engineer (member), Aliyu Shungurun (member) and David Emaniru (member).For the Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, Chinedu Nwajiuba (Chairperson), Ahmed Mohammed, a professor, (member), Hussaini Zimbo (member), Ayodeji Alonge, (member), and Podar Yuwan (member).

Source: Premium Times.