The Senate on Wednesday passed six bills seeking to establish federal tertiary institutions in different parts of the country.
The bills were passed following the consideration of the reports by the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, presented by its Chairman, Senator Barau Jibrin.
The proposed institutions include four polytechnics, one college of education and one university of technology.
If the president assents to the bills, the polytechnics will be located in Mpu, Enugu State; Kwale, Delta State, Kaltungo, Gombe State; and Adikpo in Benue State.
The bill establishing the City University of Technology said it would be situated at Auchi in Edo State, while the College of Education is to be sited in Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti State.
Jibrin, while making the presentation, said Nigeria was far short of tertiary institutions it needed to meet its educational goals and aspirations.
He said, “In fact, we have not attained 20 per cent of our requirements. So, these institutions need to be established.
“We are talking about getting our country developed and industrialised, the goals cannot be realised without having federal polytechnics and universities to train our youths to have the necessary manpower to drive the process.”
After presentation of the reports, the senators dissolved into a Committee of the Whole and considered the bills clause by clause before they were read for the third time and passed.
Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, commended Barau and other members of the committee for their hardwork towards bringing the bills to a final legislative conclusion.
Ekweremadu expressed optimism that the institutions, when established, would expand educational opportunities for the nation’s youth who were eager to receive higher education.
He said, “I pray that the government takes steps to ensure these schools are established as soon as possible, and the necessary infrastructure provided for their early take-off.”
