A legislative move by the Senate to establish the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship in Bama, Borno State, garnered overwhelming support from stakeholders during a public hearing on Monday in Abuja.
The public hearing, organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, featured the sponsor of the bill, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC, Borno Central).
He emphasized that the rising unemployment rate and the overreliance on white-collar jobs highlight the need for a specialized university focused on agriculture and entrepreneurship.
“Entrepreneurship education provides students with the knowledge, skills, attitude, and motivation needed for success in business ventures,” Lawan explained.
“The proposed university will equip youths to identify investment opportunities and transform them into sustainable enterprises, creating jobs for themselves and others.”
He further stressed that Nigeria’s youth unemployment crisis demands innovative solutions, citing alarming statistics from the Spectator Index.
“With a 53 percent youth unemployment rate, Nigeria ranks second only to South Africa’s 61 percent.
This dire situation fuels social vices and crime, as young people struggle to survive,” he noted.
Lawan argued that the proposed institution offers a practical solution by preparing youths to be responsible, enterprising individuals through education in agriculture and entrepreneurship.
In his remarks, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, Chairman of the Committee, said the university would be the first of its kind in Africa, designed to nurture job creators instead of job seekers.
“The Entrepreneurship University in the area of agriculture will produce a generation capable of driving innovation and self-employment,” Dandutse said.
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, and the Shehu of Bama, Dr. Ibn Umar Kyari El-Kanemi, expressed their gratitude to the Senate for the initiative.
They pledged to leverage the institution to transform the state’s economy and improve the well-being of its people.
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