The Imo State government has been granted a fresh license to operate its fourth state university by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, the NUC Executive Secretary, handed the operational license for the University of Innovation, Science and Technology, Omuma, Imo State, to Governor Hope Uzodimma in Abuja on Monday.
In a brief ceremony at the Commission’s headquarters, the NUC boss said the new license was a testament to Imo State government’s commitment to education, noting that it is a reflection of the collective resolve to expand access to quality university education for all Nigerians.
He said, “The National Universities Commission remains dedicated to ensuring that our higher education sector meets the highest standards of academic excellence and the approval of this university shall be in line with our mandate to regulate and maintain quality assurance in the Nigerian university system.
“Imo State has a rich and evolving higher education landscape, with institutions that drive academic excellence, research and community development. The state is home to seven notable universities currently, two federal, three state and two private, along with several other tertiary institutions.”
He noted that it was a shared responsibility to ensure that the new university, the 301st in the Nigerian University System, becomes not just another addition to the list of universities, but a true centre of learning, character building and societal transformation.
In his response, Governor Uzodimma, claimed that Imo State has a teeming population of young people who desire to be properly educated to support the growth of the state economy and the politics itself.
“So, this recognition today is, for me, a prayer answered, that our young men and women who have been struggling hard to have access to admission into a commendable and reputable university or tertiary institution have also won this prize.
“This University of Innovation, Science and Technology, in partnership with Imo Digital City, already has a mentoring agreement with the University of Berkeley in California. The whole idea is to broaden the digital curriculum to create startups, young entrepreneurs who will not only go to school to be employed, but who will graduate and as they graduate, they will also create jobs and become employers of labour. So it is also a business school.
“I am very grateful to the Executive Secretary and his team, and the NUC for granting this formal recognition to all of us, including members of my cabinet who worked hard to see it come true, I am indeed very grateful,” he said.