President and Founder of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, has set aside ₦200 billion to establish a world-class university in Abuja. Former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Julius Okojie, who is the chairman of the technical team for the establishment of the university, said the foundation intended to drive technology and research in stimulating economic growth.
Okojie, who led his team to the current Executive Secretary of the commission, Abubakar Rasheed, said the proposed university was meant to be technology-driven and asked for the cooperation and support of the NUC towards the realisation of the goal.
According to a National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, publication, the team, accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the foundation, Zouera Yousouffou, disclosed that Dangote’s desire was to float a unique university of technology with all the necessary infrastructure and best faculty members from across the globe.
Rasheed, who applauded the bold step, promised to offer all the needed assistance for the success of the project.
He, however, advised the team to reconsider its plan of establishing a university of technology to ‘a conventional university running all programmes but with specialty in the area of technology.’
The executive secretary, who underscored the advantages of the conventional university over the special one, said with the countless impacts on society by the business mogul, the project would be a success.
He asked the team to consult widely and look at the universities in Nigeria and abroad, with a view to creating a unique university that would be different in terms of quality in all its operations.