The Senate’s initiative to establish the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship in Bama, Borno State, gained overwhelming support from stakeholders at a public hearing on Monday in Abuja.
Organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, the hearing underscored the need for a specialized institution to address youth unemployment and promote entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC, Borno Central), who sponsored the bill, highlighted the importance of shifting focus from white-collar jobs to entrepreneurial skills and self-sufficiency. “The sad trend of the quest for white-collar jobs with the attendant unemployment rate underscores the need for a specialized university focused on agriculture and entrepreneurship,” he stated. Lawan emphasized that entrepreneurship education would empower students with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to seize investment opportunities and create sustainable businesses.
“The proposed university will provide a platform for youths to transform opportunities into business ventures, creating jobs for themselves and others,” Lawan added. With Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate estimated at 53%, second only to South Africa, he stressed that such an institution could help alleviate rising social challenges.
Committee Chairman Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse expressed enthusiasm about the impact the proposed university could have, stating, “The proposed Entrepreneurship University in the area of agriculture would raise a generation of job creators, not job seekers.”
The initiative received strong support from Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, and the Shehu of Bama, Dr. Ibn Umar Kyari El-Kanemi, who praised the Senate’s vision and pledged to use the institution to uplift Borno State’s economic and social landscape.
