The
President and founder of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, has budgeted N200 billion to establish a world-class university in Abuja.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the proposal has since been delivered to the National Universities Commission, NUC.
A
former Executive Secretary of the NUC, Julius Okojie, who is the
chairman of the technical team for the establishment of the university,
said the foundation intends to drive technology and research in
stimulating economic growth.
Mr Okojie, who led his team to the
current Executive Secretary of the commission, Abubakar Rasheed, said
the proposed university is meant to be technology-driven and asked for
the cooperation and support of the NUC towards the realisation of the
goal.
According to a National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN,
publication, the team, accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer, CEO
of the foundation, Zouera Yousouffou, disclosed that Mr. Dangote’s
desire was to float a unique university of technology with all the
necessary infrastructure and best faculty members from across the globe.
Mr. Rasheed, who applauded the bold step, promised to offer all the needed assistance for the success of the project.
He,
however, advised the team to reconsider its plan of establishing a
university of technology to ‘a conventional university running all
programmes but with specialty in the area of technology.’
The
executive secretary, who underscored the advantages of the conventional
university over the special one, said with the countless impacts on
society by the business mogul, the project would be a success.
He
asked the team to consult widely and look at the universities in
Nigeria and abroad with a view to creating a unique university that
would be different in terms of quality in all its operations.
In
her remarks, Mrs. Yousouffou said the foundation was ready to make the
dream a reality with the sum of N200 billion already earmarked for the
project.
She said the land was purchased and preliminary measures
were in place for the headquarters of the university at the nation’s
capital city of Abuja.
Mr. Dangote is a Nigerian
mega-entrepreneur cum billionaire, who owns the Dangote Group, which has
interests in diverse commodities.
The company with massive
business tentacles operates principally in Nigeria but has corporate
interests in other African countries.
Culled from premium Times
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