A bill for an Act to establish the federal university of Transportation, Daura on Wednesday passed second reading at the Nigerian Senate.
The bill which seeks to give legal backing to the proposed university, which is first of its kind in Nigeria, and Africa as a whole will transform Nigeria into a knowledge hub for land transport in Africa.
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo North made this known in a lead debate on the floor of the Senate.
He observed that the university will properly safeguard and sustain the huge investment of the federal government in the land transport sector.
Senator Buhari, who is also the chairman senate committtee on Transport opined that the establishment of the University will boost and compliment the wagon Assembly plant situated at Kajola in Ogun state.
Specifically, he said the bill is seeking to address the need for a transport-focused education, training and research-based institution to compliment the dearth of human capacity in the transportation sector with a deepened focus on the nation’s rejuvenated railways.
It would be recalled that the bill was first read at the Senate on Wednesday 6th October, 2021.
He explained that the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has made a conservative commitment to shoulder the take-off spending on the proposed university in the sum of $50million, saying the project is already 50 percent completed.
“Land transport sector is very vital in the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. Universities have long played an important role in educating professionals who plan, design, construct, maintain, regulate and operate our transportation systems”.
Justifying the bill, the lawmaker further noted that rapid changes in the global economy, have challenged current transportation services and organisations.
Consequently, he said “these societal challenges require new ideas and innovations in transportation, as well as an educated workforce of transportation professionals”.
He added “University research programmes have the potential to make major contributions in solving these problems”.
