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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Former Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have taken opposing positions over a Senate proposal to convert the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, from a specialised university of technology into a conventional university.
The disagreement played out on Friday during a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, where stakeholders presented submissions on a bill to amend the university’s enabling Act.
Yuguda, who spoke in support of the bill, argued that restricting ATBU to a technology-focused mandate had denied students in Bauchi State and the wider North-East access to several critical academic programmes.
“Any person that is against running the university into a conventional university is not being fair,” Yuguda said.
“I knew what I suffered to get ATBU to run medicine. Today we have over 100 medical doctors, and you are sitting here saying it should not be run as a conventional university?”
He said the proposed amendment would allow the institution to expand into disciplines such as economics, arts and other social sciences that are currently unavailable to many prospective students.
“I am an economics graduate, an accountant. If economics is not run in ATBU, why can’t I fight for them to have economics?
“There are so many subjects—science subjects, arts subjects—that are not being run but are needed,” he added.
In contrast, the ASUU branch chairman at ATBU, Haruna Angulu, opposed the plan, warning that the conversion could weaken technological education in the region and reverse the founding vision of the institution.
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“Our position is very clear. In an era where the world is going technological, what is expected is additional funding to make the existing specialised university of technology effective, rather than making it conventional,” Angulu said.
He stressed that ATBU remains the only university of technology in the North-East, arguing that its specialised status should be strengthened rather than diluted.
Earlier in his keynote address, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the National Assembly was committed to ensuring that laws governing public institutions reflect present realities and benefit from wide stakeholder engagement.
“As representatives of the Nigerian people, it is our responsibility to ensure that every legislation affecting national institutions is examined thoroughly and enriched with the insights of those who understand the issues best,” Akpabio said.
He noted that ATBU had, over the decades, established itself as a centre of excellence in science, technology, research and innovation, but added that institutional growth had exposed gaps in its current legal framework.
Chairman of the Senate Committee Muntari Dandutse, in his remarks, said the public hearing was aimed at gathering expert opinions to strengthen the proposed amendment.
“As the university expands in structure, programmes and responsibilities, certain provisions in the existing Act have become inadequate in addressing its present realities,” Dandutse said.
He explained that the bill seeks to update the university’s governance framework, clarify the roles of key officers and possibly broaden academic offerings—an aspect that has triggered sharp debate among academics, policymakers and other stakeholders.
