The Minister of Communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu has lauded the proposed Nigerian Army University, Biu; saying that its arrival is timely as Nigeria needs to explore technological innovations to move the country from the status of developing country to a developed nation.
Adebayo said this recently, in Abuja when the committee on the upgrade of Nigerian Army institute of Technology and Environmental Studies Biu, paid him a courtesy visit in his Office.
Dr. Shittu said that the Federal Government would use all its powers to support the ICT based University, to actualize its founders’ Vision of making it a unique world class University in Africa.
The Minister who assured the committee that the Federal Government would collaborate with every initiative aimed at improving the Nigeria’s situation; added that the Government would do the needful in ensuring that the Nigerian people get the best from her.
Shittu urged the committee to develop the University to attain a world class standard to become an academic Centre of attraction where international communities would find it worthwhile to send in their wards for education to learn special skills and features that cannot be found in their home Countries.
While expressing the Ministry’s readiness to accord the necessary technical assistance to the university, he advised the committee to encourage all African countries to send in their wards for study in the University as soon as it takes off, explaining that once the school offers excellent education in special fields where it is not found in their countries they would happily patronize Nigeria which will boost the nation’s foreign exchange.
He urged them to technically equip the institution to the level that Indians, Malaysians, Chinese, amongst others would make Nigeria their education hub in such special fields of Military weaponry and technology, making its standard second to none, across the globe.
The Minister expressed happiness that he hopes that research and Innovations are going to be the hallmark of the University. He added that throughout the world, ICT has become the key for development and economic sustenance, thus expressing hope that the university has the capacity to transform the technical workforce in Nigeria if properly harnessed.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the Committee, Major General Mathias Efeoubochan (Rtd) extended the Chief of Army Staff’s kind regards and thanked the Minister for granting them audience despite his tight schedules and told the Minister that the aim of the courtesy visit by the Committee was to seek a collaborative support from the Ministry to enable the university achieve her technologically driven goals.
Mathias further said the innovative and research based school is part of the repositioning efforts by the Nigerian Army which according to him, has a lot to do with Ministry of Communication.
Efeoubochan who said the Motto of the University is “knowledge, Creativity and Innovation for National Development”. The aim is to make it a leading university spearheading technology, particularly in Military weapons manufacturing, research and innovations as well as developing great talents in Nigeria and Africa for self-sufficiency in the scientific world.
According to him, the Committee is partnering with reputable technologically based companies, like Huawei and others to accord her the necessary collaboration to train resourceful graduates that could make great exploits in the world of innovations for national development.
Daniel Enoch
IOII (Press)
For: Deputy Director (Press)
