The Gumel Emirate’s long-term quest for federal institutions, and the recent announcement by the federal government of the establishment of the Federal University of Technology in Jigawa State.
First, let me congratulate the good people of Jigawa state for being among the beneficiaries of the recent approval of five universities of technology and health sciences by President Muhd Buhari.
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The new universities of technology will be located in Jigawa and Akwa Ibom states, while the universities of health sciences will be established in Azare, Bauchi State and Ila Orangun, Osun State.
One of the motives for establishing federal universities in the States may be to ensure that all people have equal access to educational opportunities and to close the gap between educationally underdeveloped and developed states. It is clear that the current Nigerian administration is committed to doing its best to fulfill its promises by filling the gap in boosting education in the areas of technology, health, and science, particularly in some of Nigeria’s backward states.
Thankfully, by selecting Jigawa State as one of the recipients of these tertiary institutions, the federal government has made a fair and appropriate decision. As a consequence, this issue sparked public debates and mixed opinions regarding which zone or Emirate best deserves the new Federal University in Jigawa state. Although people in power or government have the utmost right or responsibility to implement their initiatives in a specific location, notwithstanding that, they usually listen to the public’s opinion, which is very essential, since they should be the potential beneficiaries.
“The vast majority of people have agreed that the Gumel Emirate should get the slot because it is the only emirate with only one tertiary institution, and three of its four local governments are educationally disadvantaged. “Another reason they mentioned was that one of the local governments of the emirate, Gagarawa, is located at the center of the state, which is 35Km away from Gumel Local Government. “
Jigawa State is one of the fastest developing states in Nigeria, with a population of about 5 million divided across 3 senatorial zones and 5 emirates, which include the following: Dutse, Ringim, Hadejia, Gumel and Kazaure emirates respectively. From 1991 to date, precisely 30 years, the state has established 11 higher institutions, in addition to 1 Federal University, 1 Federal Polytechnic, 2 private universities and 4 NOUN centers distributed across 4 out of the 5 emirates. The only emirate with a single higher institution is the Gumel Emirate. The College of Education (COE) Gumel was founded in 1976 in old Kano and was moved to its current location, Gumel, in 1980 by Muhammad Abubakar Rimi. Throughout the years, the state’s pioneer institute (COE) Gumel has graduated many prominent people from across the state, and even from neighboring states, and it is still producing them today.
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Undoubtedly, the Gumel Emirate is one of the oldest emirates in Nigeria. However, despite its long history, huge manpower, human resources and contribution to state and national development, it is not only sad but extremely painful to note that, ever since the creation of Jigawa State, not even a single tertiary institution has been established by the successive administrations in the emirate (State and Federal). It is equally disheartening that the lone tertiary institution in the emirate, despite a huge and ever-increasing population, is the Jigawa State College of Education Gumel, which was inherited from Kano State, as previously mentioned. The following analysis clearly shows how the remaining emirates in the state have been flooded with the establishment of tertiary institutions thus far. Looking at the status quo, it’s crystal clear to note that the existing tertiary institutions and universities in Jigawa state are as follows:
DUTSE EMIRATE.
1. Federal University, Dutse
2. College of Nursing and Midwifery, B/Kudu
3. School of Health Technology, Jahun
4. National Open University of Nigeria, Dutse study centre.
5. Jigawa State polytechnic Dutse.
RINGIM EMIRATE.
1. College of Islamic and Legal studies, Ringim
2. Jigawa State College of Remedial, Babura
3. National Open University of Nigeria, Ringim Study centre.
4. Jigawa state School of midwifery/Nursing Babura.
5. Khadija University Majiya.
KAZAURE EMIRATE.
1. Hussaini Adamu Federal Poly. Kazaure.
2. Informatic Institute, Kazaure
3. Research Institute, Kazaure
HADEJIA EMIRATE.
1. Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa
2. Binyaminu Usman College of Agric, Hadejia
3. National Open University of Nigeria, Hadejia Study centre
4. Al-Salam International University Hadejia.
GUMEL EMIRATE.
1. Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel.
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History has it, when the Federal Government planned to establish the Federal University in 2010, the most suitable site proposed by educationists was the Jigawa State College of Education (CEO) Gumel, but that could not see the light of day. Now, the Federal Government has announced the Federal University of Technology in Jigawa State.
It’s very coherent that under President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership, the federal government does justice to all of its allocations, not just in tertiary education, but in all of its material allocations. In its federal functions, the government is seen as sticking to its federal character.
We appeal to the Jigawa state government, led by His Excellency Alh. Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar MNI, MON, the Federal Ministry of Education, and all party stakeholders to consider making the necessary decision, to listen to the long-term desire of the good people of Gumel Emirate to consider the location of this university in Gumel Emirate. Considering the foregoing, if realistic analysis is anything to go by, and if the Gumel Emirate is still being considered for educational development, which is the key agenda of this administration. Moreover, the institution should be well suited to the Gumel Emirate, as the only one with a college of education, as mentioned earlier, that was inherited from the old Kano state.
Thank you.
Written by Abba Garba
Abba Garba is a PhD candidate at laboratory of Network and Information Security, Peking University. From Gumel.
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