Governor Bello Mohammed (Matawallen Maradun) has directed the construction of a N400 million National Open University Study Center in Gusau, just as he pledged to sponsor an initial 200 students to the University.
He gave this directive when he paid a working visit to the National Headquarters of the University in Abuja today. Governor Matawalle said his decision to take this bold step is borne out of his desire to fast-track the development of education in the state, pointing out that his administration is committed to building a virile youth for the future prosperity of the state.
“I am convinced that NOUN is the right institution to assist in that direction because it is not hindered by bottlenecks peculiar to tertiary education system in this country”, Matawalle observed.
He said that the Government will continue to sponsor students into the University as it has proven a viable avenue of obtaining quality education without hurdles in the country.
“Since my assumption of office, I have sponsored 200 qualified students abroad to study critical areas of medical and technology courses where the state is in dire need”, Matawalle revealed. He said that his administration’s commitment to transform the educational sector in the state informed the provision of the highest allocation to the sector in the 2020 appropriation Bill.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdallah Uba Abdullahi who received the Governor in his office said the University based its programmes online where students acquire admission, register, study and even conduct their examination online.
“Your Excellency, as at today, we have completed our first semester examination despite lockdown arising from the COVID-19 pandemic because the bullk of our business is conducted online” Professor Abdallah revealed .
He said the Northern part of the country is extremely lagging behind regarding its participation in the golden opportunity provided by the University to have effective, quality, cheap and hitch-free education.