Kwara govt to spend N600m on new University of Education’s campus gate
…N347m for project consultancy
The Kwara State Government has earmarked N600 million for the construction of a campus entrance and gatehouse at the newly established University of Education, official budget documents have shown.
A review of the approved allocations indicates that the project, listed under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, is valued at N600,135,000 under the construction category.
The project is part of a broader infrastructure plan for the institution, which also includes the construction of a Central Administration and Senate Building estimated at N8,353,633,000.
Further details in the documents show that the state has set aside N347,560,500 for consultancy services covering both the administrative complex and the gatehouse.
‘University must not burden state resources’
Speaking in 2024 during the inauguration of the university’s governing council, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq emphasized the need for fiscal discipline.
“This university is a child of necessity to position Kwara and its people for a sustainable future in the sphere of education and related disciplines,” he said.
He warned that staffing and employment must be strictly guided by need, affordability, and competence.
“The school should be run in a way that it does not become another burden on the scarce resources of the government,” Abdulrazaq said.
He added that the institution is designed to succeed the College of Education, Ilorin, and serve as a model for reforms in other state-owned colleges.
Controversy over university’s independence
While the governor mentioned that the University of Education would succeed the College of Education, Ilorin, The Informant247 gathered that the university now operates independently, with both institutions functioning as separate entities.
The move reportedly led to disputes over the use of facilities by the two institutions.
In response, the state government, last year, set up a committee to ensure their harmonious coexistence.
The committee recommended the early establishment of the permanent site of KWASUED to consolidate the Governor’s vision for educational transformation in the state.
