Nigeria: FG Approves N1b for Petroleum Resources Varsity

Out-going Education Minister, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili has said the Federal Government had approved a take-off grant of N1 billion for University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta.

Ezekwesili, who made this known in Abuja, at the inauguration of the governing council of the university, said the amount was to assist the institution in providing the necessary facilities for its take-off.

She pointed out that in the interim, the new institution would operate from the facilities of Petroleum Training Institute at Effurun, under a facility sharing arrangement.

The minister said the institution, which would develop under a three-phase arrangement, would take off in September with the College of Sciences.

“This is to provide a sound scientific base for the institution in core focus areas of petroleum technology,” she said.

“The university which would be operated under the collegiate arrangement, would then go on to add the petroleum and oil technology programmes in the second phase,” the minister said.

According to her, management related programmes would begin in the third phase.

Ezekwesili said the composition of the board was a demonstration of the believe of the Federal Government that those, who “shape the agenda of our citadels of learning should be people of distinction”.

She said the university was coming at a critical point in the life of the nation and that the council must drive the institution to meet

the challenges of the nation’s development in oil and gas technology.

In his remark, Mr Joseph Makoju, the chairman of the governing council of the institution, thanked government for the confidence reposed in them.

Makoju said the board would strive hard to actualise the dream of the government in establishing the institution, adding that the university would admit its first set of students this academic year.

“I want to assure the Federal Government that the board would rise up to the challenges and vision of government in establishing this specialised university,” he said.

It will be recalled that President Olusegun Obasanjo had recently, announced the appointment of Prof. Babatunde Alabi of the University of Ibadan, as the vice-chancellor of the institution.

The president similarly approved the appointment of Mrs L.O. Onwuka as the Registrar of the institution, while Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar, the Emir of Gwandu, was appointed chancellor.

Information from: allafrica.com