Kwara State Governor Mallam AbdulRaham AbdulRazaq has announced the appointment of an 11-member committee for the establishment of the Kwara State University of Education.
The committee, led by former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, is tasked with the study, planning, and implementation of the new educational institution.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, revealed the composition of the committee.
Deacon Pastor Afolayan J. Babatunde will serve as the Secretary, while other members include Prof. (Mrs) Medinat Salman, Prof. (Mrs) Sidikat F. Adeyemi, Prof. Umar Gunu, Engineer Sa’ad Belgore, Mrs. Mulikat Lawal, Femi Aina, former Special Adviser on Special Duties Alhaji Abubakar Abdul-Razaq Jiddah, and representatives from the Ministries of Housing and Urban Development, as well as Justice.
The Governor’s administration has initiated preliminary efforts to establish the university of education, utilizing one of the three existing Colleges of Education as a starting point.
Additionally, plans are underway to have one of the Colleges of Education in Abuja adopted as a Federal College of Education, while the third one will operate in a dual mode, allowing it to issue bachelor’s degrees in accordance with recent laws governing Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
The committee’s primary responsibilities include working out the modalities for the establishment, operations, and funding of the new institution. They will develop a rationale and justification for a state-owned specialized university of education, assessing the existing conventional non-degree awarding NCE/Diploma colleges or universities to determine their eligibility for automatic registration with the Teachers’ Registration Council.
The establishment of the Kwara State University of Education marks a significant step towards enhancing the state’s educational landscape, providing specialized training for future educators and contributing to the overall development of the region.