*Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State says operation of two additional Universities will assist in meeting the demands and needs of the teeming youths craving for higher education to be future leaders and reference points for themselves, families, and the country

*Nigeria鈥檚 National Universities Commission congratulates Lagos Governor on efforts and initiative

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The National Universities Commission (NUC), in Abuja, FCT, has given clearance certificates of operations to the Lagos State Government (LASG) for its two state-owned universities.

绿帽献妻 gathered it was an exciting time afternoon Tuesday, February 8, 2022, for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State as he received the approval documents for activation of the two new state-owned universities from the NUC.

Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, NUC Executive Secretary, handed over the certificates to Governor Sanwo-Olu at the official recognition and collection of certificates for the two new Lagos universities.

The NUC, at the event held in the regulatory Commission鈥檚 Headquarters in Abuja, affirmed the two universities are the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin, and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUST), Ikorodu, making three state-owned universities in the state with the existing Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

Recall Governor Sanwo-Olu recently assented to the bills upgrading the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, to the University of Science and Technology as well as Adeniran Ogunsanya Colleges of Education, Ijanikin, and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe, to Lagos State University of Education respectively.

Sequel to the Clearance Certificates of Operations by the NUC, Lagos State University of Education is now the 56th State University and 204th University in Nigeria, as well as the second University of education in Nigeria while Lagos State University of Science and Technology is 57th State University and 205th University in Nigeria, report said.

Meanwhile, the two Universities, which are expected to commence operations soon are in addition to the existing Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, which was established in 1982 by Alhaji Lateef Jakande, first Civilian Governor of Lagos.

Commendation for NUC and Lagos House of Assembly

In his remarks on the occasion at the NUC Headquarters, Sanwo-Olu, who commended the Commission on granting the operational certificates for Lagos State University of Education and Lagos State University of Science and Technology, said the creation of the two universities by his administration is not about being ambitious but doing what is proper for the people of Lagos State.

He applauded Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) and state lawmakers for working with the executive arms of government and other stakeholders toward passage of the law setting up the two universities.

He also appreciated the leadership of the legacy tertiary institutions for their understanding in this regard.

According to the Lagos State Governor, converting erstwhile Lagos State Polytechnic to a University of Science and Technology will bring about innovative engineering, science invention and other innovations that are critical to the development of our country and our state.

The conversion of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education into a University of Education is a proper and right thing to do given the demands and the needs of students of today.

According the two supplementary Universities will assist in meeting the demands and needs of the teeming youths who are craving for higher education to be future leaders and reference points not only for themselves and families but for the country.

Commitment to tertiary education and future of Lagos youths

Sanwo-Olu further stated: 鈥淚t is about the future of our citizens. It is about the future of our youths, who truly believe in us to do the right thing.

鈥淚t is about our commitment to taking tertiary education to a level that all of us would be proud of.

鈥淚t is all around ensuring that we give hope and opportunity to our teeming youths that believe in us to do the right thing.鈥�

The Lagos Governor also noted: 鈥淲e are giving a commitment that what we have done in LASU, we will also replicate it in the two universities. We will ensure that the two great children that we are giving birth to today are not left alone.

鈥淎ll of the various development infrastructure; human and materials that are required to make the universities one of the best in the country, Lagos State would make those resources available for them.鈥�

鈥淲e say this with every sense of responsibility, knowing fully-well what we are doing in LASU, the level of infrastructure we are putting into erstwhile polytechnic and colleges of education, we would double up those efforts at ensuring that they can turn into great citadels of higher learning and universities that would be reference points in the years ahead,鈥� said he.

Place of Education and Technology in economic agenda of LASG

He as well disclosed that 鈥淓ducation and Technology are in our economic agenda. So, it is not something that we just fell into overnight; it was something that we thought out.

鈥淚t is something that our people deserve and we plan that in four years, we are going to deliver to them.

鈥淲e thank all the stakeholders, the House of Assembly and all the various communities where these institutions would be cited and all of our other players in the private sector who are looking forward to this.鈥�

Te governor stated: 鈥淭here are over 20,000 schools in Lagos that are in a private institution that are looking for teachers; teachers in science education and other curricula of education that have university degrees.

鈥淚t is a ready market that we are trying to fill. So, we are excited and proud that we can take it back home today.鈥�

We congratulate Lagos Governor on education initiative 鈹�Prof. Rasheed

Earlier in his address at the event, Prof. Rasheed, Executive Secretary of NUC, pledged the Commission鈥檚 total support to the two universities, and urged the Lagos State Government to take full advantage of the professional and technical advice that the regulatory Commission would provide to the state government for the establishment and operation of their universities.

The NUC Executive Secretary said: 鈥淲e congratulate the governor on his efforts and initiative.

鈥淲e congratulate your team on the vision of moving Lagos State forward. We particularly congratulate you on your decision to invest wisely in higher education.

鈥淭he Lagos State University of Science and Technology certainly would be a benefit to the position of Lagos as the hub of industries and technology in this country and West Africa. And if properly supported, this is a university that can help Lagos State鈥檚 determination to transit into a knowledge economy.

Rasheed also stated: 鈥淟agos as a state can move ahead of others based on investment in education. I know that the economy of Lagos alone is the fifth in the entire African continent.

鈥淭he economy of Lagos alone is more than the entire economy of Ghana and Ivory Coast put together.鈥�

The Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been fully notified about the operations of the two universities, said the NUC Chief.

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