President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the transformation of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, into the Federal University of Mining, Engineering, and Technology, Nasarawa.
According to the presidency, this is a significant boost for the country’s technical education sector and attempts to tap Nigeria’s massive solid mineral resources.
The clearance was announced in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and came after a motion presented by Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, Senator representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District.
According to Onanuga, Senator Wadada had urged the Federal Government to convert the institution into a mining and engineering-focused university, arguing that Nasarawa State’s rich mineral deposits make it an ideal location for a center focused on developing the skilled manpower needed to drive Nigeria’s mining industry.
With presidential assent, the school will be rebranded as a specialist university that teaches, researches, and innovates in mining, engineering, mineral processing, metallurgy, manufacturing, and other developing technologies.
The new university is also expected to play a critical role in developing experts capable of enhancing value addition in the solid minerals sector, fostering industrial innovation, and assisting in the sustainable development of Nigeria’s natural resources.
The Presidency hailed the move as part of President Tinubu’s broader reform strategy to link higher education with national economic priorities through the establishment of specialised institutions that address important manpower demands in key sectors of the economy.
To guarantee a smooth transition, the President has authorised the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and other relevant organisations to immediately begin the legal, regulatory, and administrative steps required to implement the upgrading.