A bill for an Act to upgrade federal college of Education Okene to university of education on Tuesday passed second reading at the Nigerian Senate.
The bill was read the first time at the red Chamber on Tuesday, 22nd February, 2022.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Yakubu Oseni (Kogi Central), in a lead debate observed that for any country to achieve meaningful development, the socio-economic and political system must be enhanced.
He added that this is why successive Nigerian governments placed much emphases on the development of the individual as a means to national development.
He said the National Policy on Education (1981) postulates that education is “the greatest investment that the nation can make for the quick development of its economic, political, sociological and human resources.”
“Among the various educational institutions through which the nation hopes to achieve its developmental goals, specialized Universities of Education should take pre-eminence because they are set up to train the trainers”.
Justifying, the bill, he said the development of a sound and robust educational system in any country is predicated on the availability of qualified and well trained teachers to impact the required knowledge on the students.
Consequently, Senator Oseni argued “the need to have a strong system in our educational sector that shall continuously produce well qualified and trained teachers as is obtainable in other countries cannot be overemphasized”.
He maintained “this is the fundamental justification for the establishment of this specialized institution of higher learning: the Federal University of Education, Okene”.
Specifically, he added that the realization that Universities of Education are tools for national development have led to an unbridled quest for, and vigorous expansion of such institutions in Nigeria.
He explained that in line with Order 76(3) of the Senate Standing Order 2022 as amended, the Bill has no financial implication as structures and man power needs are already in existence in the Federal College of Education Okene.
Meanwhile, Senate President Ahmed Lawan referred the bill to committee on Tertiary education and TETFUND and report back in four weeks.
