Education

Establishment of Fed. University of Technical Education will address shortage of teachers, out of school children – Barau Jibrin

Published

4 years ago

December 8, 2022

By Lateef Taiwo

The Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations and senator representing Kano North, Barau Jibrin has expressed delight that establishment of Federal University of Education (Technical), Bichi and Federal University of Agriculture, Danbatta both in Kano state will address the dual problem of out of school children and shortage of teachers in our schools.

Barau stated this Thursday at the public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund on the Federal University of Agriculture, Danbatta, Kano state (Establishment bil), Federal University of Education (Technical), Bichi Kano state (Establishment bill) and Federal College of Agriculture, Ubiaja, Edo state (Establishment bill).

Senator Barau who sponsored the bills for establishment of the two universities in Kano state said Federal College of Education Technical Bichi, which is being upgraded to university “is very famous in chunning out teachers who are teaching in the secondary schools, but there is lack of teachers needed in our universities.
“We have many private universities being established every year. So, there is that need to have a university in our area. You know we are lagging behind in terms of education. We need a university that will train teachers that will teach in these universities. That is very important.

He said Kano is not only the centre of commerce in northern part of Nigeria, but also centre of agriculture as they have the largest farm produce market in the whole of West Africa situated in Kano.

“Since we are known for agriculture, we need a university that will train farmers (agriculturists). We are not asking for too much because the establishment of these universities is for the benefit of the entire nation.

Talking about funding, the Kano North senator was optimistic that their hard work has resulted in “non-oil revenues growing every year”.

“Now we are talking of an institution that will help develop agriculture, which is the main stay of our economy, which will increase our agricultural produce and translate into a better living standard.

On the disturbing issue of out of school children, which is mainly a northern problem, Barau said the establishment of the institutions is the best way to fight the menace.

“We are talking about training teachers. If you don’t have this kind of institution you won’t go anywhere . We are trying to fight this out of school children, which can be done by having the school and have the teachers. Teacher is the most important element to have children trained to be better citizens of the country.

Hon. Hamisu Ibrahim, Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, who represented the Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje, gave the assurance of Kano State Government to the Senate Committee that they provide all that is needed for the establishment of the two universities.

He expressed the gratitude of the government and people of Kano to Senator Barau Jibrin who sponsored the two bills for FUOA, Danbatta and FUE (Technical) Bichi.

The Speaker disclosed that primary and secondary schools have been made compulsory in Kano state through a law passed two years ago by the Kano State House of Assembly making it “compulsory and necessary for every child to be enrolled in school”.

Prof. Mohammed Waidale, from Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Danbatta which is being upgraded to Federal University of Agriculture Danbatta and Dr. Andrew Ojienhekele from Ambrose Alli University, Edo state both spoke in favour of the bills.

According to Dr. Andrew, there is no single College of Agriculture in the whole Edo state and the current effort is “very commendable”.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Ahmed Babba Kaita was elated when there no single objection to any of the three bills, but said the committee was open to all views.

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Education

Igbinedion University, EduTech Global Partner On Digital Education, Access

Mr. Femi Shonubi, Co-Founder/CTO – EduTech Global

Published

2 months ago

August 18, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

Igbinedion University, Okada, one of Nigeria’s leading private universities, has entered into a strategic partnership with EduTech Global to accelerate its digital learning ambitions, expand access to its academic programmes to students in the country.

Through the partnership, EduTech will provide digital learning infrastructure and technology support for the University’s Distance Learning Centre (DLC), thereby enabling learners to access quality university education beyond the conventional campus environment.

The partnership reflects Igbinedion University’s ambition to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape by combining its academic heritage with technology, innovation and new models of learning that contribute to national workforce development.

Speaking on the partnership, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, said the collaboration represented a significant step in the university’s ambition to produce graduates equipped for national and global impact.

He said: “At Igbinedion University, our mandate has always been to lead in producing graduates equipped for national and global impact. This partnership with EduTech Global represents a bold step into the future of higher education in Nigeria.
“By expanding our digital learning infrastructure, we are not just breaking down geographical barriers; we are actively contributing to national workforce development by ensuring that quality, industry-aligned education is accessible to every driven learner, regardless of location.”

In his remarks, Director, Igbinedion University Distance Learning Centre, Prof. Gideon Bawa, said the university was motivated by the opportunity to transform its existing processes, which hitherto were being handled manually, and build a more efficient and scalable distance learning model.

The Director clarified: “The growth recorded by institutions that have leveraged EduTech’s technology and expertise was a major factor in our decision to engage the company. We are confident that this partnership will position Igbinedion University to achieve significant growth in enrolment while strengthening the quality and efficiency of our Distance Learning Centre.”

“With this partnership, we expect to move most of our administrative and academic activities online through EduTech. This will improve efficiency, enhance the learner experience and allow our facilitators and students to engage more effectively through a connected digital learning environment”, Bawa added.

Commenting on the collaboration, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, EduTech Global, Femi Shonubi, pointed out that technology had been redefining the boundaries of what a university can offer, adding that EduTech’s role extends beyond putting courses online.

Shonubi expatiated: “Technology’s true value lies in its ability to drive tangible socio-economic impact through education. By dismantling physical boundaries, we are empowering institutions like Igbinedion University to democratise access to high-quality learning. This is about more than online courses; it is about developing a resilient, highly skilled workforce at scale to meet the demands of the modern economy.

“We are helping institutions build connected learning ecosystems that support the student journey from application and enrolment through learning, assessment and graduation. Igbinedion University’s ambition to lead in innovative education aligns strongly with what we are building at EduTech.”

General Manager, Edutech Global, Moyosore Asubiojo said the partnership arises as demand grows for flexible higher education among working professionals, entrepreneurs and learners seeking alternatives to traditional full-time campus education.

She asserted that by combining Igbinedion University’s academic competence with EduTech’s technology capabilities, the collaboration will create new pathways to quality education and workforce development while enabling the University to expand beyond its traditional geographical footprint.

Analysts believe that the partnership between the university and the tech company represents a shared commitment to making higher education more accessible, flexible and scalable, while positioning the university to compete and lead in the next generation of technology-enabled education in Nigeria and globally.

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