The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) on Thursday inaugurated the iconic Conference Centre completed for multiple purposes at Bayero University, Kano.
Until the final delivery, the multi-million naira capital infrastructure began 15 years ago during the tenure of former Vice Chancellor, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, but suffered consistent stagnation that dragged the project for one and a half decade.
Unveiling the landmark complex, the Fund’s Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, said the facility was designed with expanding architectural status to advancing academic goals.
Beyond the academic purpose, Dr. Echono said the conference centre provides avenue for public, corporate, and social events with large space and equipment for pressure.
The Tetfund boss reminded the overall gain of the facility enhances Bayero University’s self-sufficiency and reduces total dependence on government for limited resources.
Arch. Echono emphasized President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda on advancing public universities as leading centers of learning and equipped with modern facilities to deliver quality teaching and learning.
According to him, when completed, Nigeria will no longer bother sending samples abroad, noting that facilities at the ongoing project will enable the conduct of experiments and advance research right in the university.
“Mr. President’s agenda is to see our universities as leading centers for us to be able to express ourselves, our might as a country, our potential as a country. He wants us to equip our institutions so they can compete with any across the world and to show that we are uplifting our standards.
“He also wants us to win, we call it winning them from total dependence on government so they don’t have to wait until the limited funds available through the budget.
“BUK is now having income-generating activities like this type of facility and that will help them to be able to improve their services to our students in terms of maintaining facilities,” Dr. Echono added.
On his part, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Project Sagir Adamu, expressed satisfaction that the project, which was abandoned for 15 years, was completed during his tenure.
Professor Adamu applauded the intervention of Tetfund in the university, especially the conference center, which he said would serve as a veritable source of revenue to the institution. However, he hoped the incoming Vice Chancellor will put it to use for the purpose for which it was intended.
Chief Executive Officer, UYK Nigeria Limited, Usman Yahya Kansila, appealed to the Federal Government to enable indigenous contractors the opportunity to handle public projects to multiply economic prosperity.
Kansila, who handled the construction of the project, said, “When we were assigned with this project, some people were saying that it is too heavy for indigenous contractors.
“But at the end of the day, it is now a history which we are proud of. And we want to take this opportunity to thank the management of Bayero University for giving us the opportunity and believing in our capacity to reach where we are and for believing in our capacity,” Kansila added.
