TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says President Muhammadu Buhari is leading an education revolution to transform the country.

In a statement on Wednesday, John Akpanudoedehe, secretary of the APC caretaker and extra-ordinary convention planning committee (CECPC), said the Buhari-led administration has been consistent in boosting education for human capital development.

Akpanudoedehe commended the president for approving the establishment of five new specialised universities in technology, health and pharmaceutical sciences in the country.

This, he explained, was captured in the 2015 APC manifesto and outlined in the ‘Education for Change Ministerial Strategic Plan 2018-2022’.

He said the decision on the new universities was a demonstration of the responsiveness of the government to the call by the APC CECPC and citizens for more federal tertiary institutions in the country.

He noted that the establishment of the universities will stimulate rapid technological development and innovation.

“Commendably, President Buhari is fulfilling the APC’s electoral promise to lead an education revolution and transform the country technologically, triggered by eventualities of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the need to reduce medical tourism,” he said.

“This is also a proactive intervention by the President Buhari-led APC government to boost the country’s institutional capacity for disease control and surveillance.

“The establishment of the universities, each of which also got a take-off grant of N4 billion, is aimed at closing observed manpower gaps in critical scientific and health services fields and technology.

“The establishment of a university of technology each in Jigawa State (North West) and Akwa Ibom (South South) by the administration has closed a huge gap in terms of providing such tertiary institutions.”

He said it is equally significant that Buhari has approved the upgrading and equipping of existing universities of technology in Yola, Akure, Minna, and Owerri.

Akpanudoedehe added that the location of the new universities is “a true reflection of the federal character of Nigeria”, as every geo-political zone now has a university of technology.

“The APC is glad that as usual with locating projects, recruitment and political appointments by the President Buhari-led administration, no part of the country is left behind,” he said.

“The equitable distribution and inclusiveness in the allocation of resources by the administration is in line with the 1999 Constitution as amended and the manifesto of the APC.

“We are excited about the prospects of the new university’s immense benefits to the current and coming generations in the country.”

The APC secretary also commended Adamu Adamu, minister of education, for swiftly implementing the decision by the federal executive council (FEC) to establish the universities.