The management of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna) has solicited the support of the former governor of old Kano state, Col Sani Bello (rtd), in funding the construction of their university’s research farm.
Vice chancellor of the school, Professor Abdullahi Bala, explained that the research farm would help to curtail incessant clashes between herders and farmers in the country.
Bala stated this when he led a delegation of the institution’s management team to Kontagora on a courtesy visit to the former military administrator.
Bello is the father of the incumbent governor of Niger state, Abubakar Sani Bello.
Speaking at the conference room of the Sani Bello Foundation office, the VC said their university’s extant laws also permit the institution to establish a school of medical sciences.
He however, disclosed that establishing a school of medical sciences is capital-intensive because it would require the construction of a new complex, recruitment of experienced staff in medical related fields as well as the building of a teaching hospital.
Bala said FUTMinna had concluded arrangements with the management of the Federal Medical Centre, in Bida, to use their facilities as teaching hospital for clinical practice, saying the university already has some support departments on ground needed to float a medical school.
Bala, while frowning at the inability of Niger state to fill its allotted admission quota every year, urged the ex-Kano governor to look into the construction of a female hostel in FUTMinna for Niger state students to boost enrolment from the state.
He said FUTMinna was ready to partner with the Foundation in the areas of entrepreneurial and information technology trainings.
Bello thanked the VC for the visit, while also informing his guests that his foundation had commenced the construction of a university in Kontagora to complement FUTMinna and other universities’ efforts in providing qualitative education.
He advised the management of FUTMinna to commence medical programmes so that more students from the state would be given opportunities to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors.
Bello, equally urged the university to look at the possibility of spreading some of its faculties across the state to bring education closer to the people.
He assured the school management of his decision to engage one of his companies, Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, to liaise with the institution to undertake the funding of a project in the institution as part of its corporate social responsibility, since FUTMinna is located in one of the catchment states of the hydroelectric firm.
Photo: Bala (left) and Bello, during the visit
