The Federal Government says it will deepen efforts to transform the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State, into a knowledge hub for the African transportation industry.

The Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Alkali made this known in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“The University is to become a centre of excellence with proficiency in the transportation industry through innovation, science and technology.

“The mission is to be a leading specialised University for academic excellence and innovations to establish and foster national and regional integration in the area of transportation technology.

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“This is in order to meet the needs and challenges of the transportation industry in Nigeria and the West Africa sub region, “ he said.

To achieve the feat, Alkali said the government would provide high-quality facilities and multi-disciplinary approaches in learning, to ensure the institute becomes world-class.

The minister recalled that the institution was conceived to safeguard and sustain the huge investments of the Federal Government in the transportation sector.

According to him, the institute came on board to address the need for a transport-focused education, training, and research-based institution to complement the dearth of human capacity in the transportation sector.

He said the institute was also established to deepen focus on the nation’s rejuvenated railways.

NAN recalled that the minister recently disclosed that the University had been enlisted and incorporated among tertiary institutions qualified for 2025`s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Alkali who hinted at this during his visit and facility assessment of the University in Daura said, funds would be made available to boost facilities in the institution.

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“When I took over as the Minister of Transportation, I was directed by President Bola Tinubu to continue with all the existing contracts and to sustain the contracts.

“We have approached TETFund. The university has met all the checklists of TETFund. So, it will be enlisted next year so that it will have more infrastructure to grow,” the minister said.

Alkali, who said that the University was not captured in the Federal Government’s 2023 appropriation, however, stated that the President had approved the institution to be enlisted in the 2024 appropriation.

The minister acknowledged the role of the National Universities Commission, for appointing Ahmadu Bello University as a mentor university to enable it to commence admission for 2023-2024 academic year.

Alkali expressed optimism that the university would soon attain the height it was actually established for.

NAN reports that the University was constructed by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) as a corporate social responsibility in Nigeria. (NAN)