Federal University Dutse - VC’s Welcome Address

[FUDNigeria]

It is my great pleasure to welcome you the newly established Federal University Dutse website.  It is one of the new Universities created to improve both access and quality – two of the major issues that are of serious concern in Nigerian University Education System.  The new Universities are also expected to avoid the mistakes of the past that continue to beset the older Universities.  The Federal University Dutse (FUD) received its charter from the Federal Government of Nigeria on February 9, 2011.  The University's campus is located in the capital of Jigawa State, Dutse, an ancient town in North-Western Nigeria.  The University's host town offers the charm of a small agricultural town, with easy access to major metropolitan areas such as Kano, Bauchi, Maiduguri and Kaduna.

FUD seeks to attract a diverse cast of lecturers and students, support research and teaching on local, national and global issues and create academic relationships with many Universities and higher education institutions in Nigeria and across the world.  FUD will offer a broad range of degree programs in the Humanities, the Natural and the Social Sciences and Agriculture, and in years to come, courses in Management Sciences, Environmental Studies, Law, Education, Engineering and Medicine.

We have 205 pioneer students enrolled in BA English, Bsc Criminology, Bsc Microbiology and B. Agriculture.  We will increase the enrolment level to about 500 students next year and introduce Bsc Economics, Bsc Political Science, Bsc Environmental Science & Toxicology and Bsc Computer Science.

As a new University, FUD is committed to the best tradition of excellence and aspires to be a teaching and research-intensive, technologically driven institution, whose foremost aspiration is to contribute to the national effort in providing high quality University education while also building an academic community in which the youth can develop their full potential under a banner of excellence in all spheres of life.

The climate of Jigawa State is sahelian and there are serious environmental challenges in that climatic zone.  This coupled with the low level of school enrolment in the past and high level of poverty in the University's area of influence, pose immediate research challenges for the new institution.  Also, generally speaking, the people of the zone are mainly subsistence farmers.  These factors tend to reinforce one another and lead to a vicious circle of poverty.  The new University therefore has its job cut out for it especially in the area of Research.  We shall therefore aim to proffer solutions to these very important problems taking cognizance of the opportunities available globally in this era of climate change.  I am confident that if we deploy critical thinking and appropriate technology these problems are amenable to solutions.  It is heartening that the proprietors of the University envisage a slim and fit modern University capable of addressing Nigerian problems in a global setting.  The Federal University Dutse promises to be a vibrant international community of academics and non academic staff.  We shall aim to excel in educating our students in competence and character in order to properly equip them for life in the 21st century.  We shall leverage information and communication technologies fully from day one in order to firmly position the University to face the challenges ahead.  Among the founding values of FUD are intellectual curiosity and a passion for learning and scholarly research.  This is why FUD looks forward to enrolling students who bring brilliance, talent, life experiences and diversity – ethnic geographic and socioeconomic – that are characteristic of dynamic Universities.

Welcome to FUDUTSE.

Sincerely,

Professor Jibrila D. Amin OFR

Vice Chancellor

Via: Federal University, Dutse