Members of the Niger State House of Assembly have called on the State Government to relocate the College of Education (COE), Minna, to Suleja to address the shortage of tertiary institutions in the Suleja Emirate.
They observed that such a move would encourage student enrollment and help mitigate the issue of out-of-school children in the area.
The resolution was reached during a plenary session of the House following a motion sponsored by Hon. Murtala Adamu Badaru, Member representing Suleja Constituency.
Hon Badaru explained, “In December 2023, the National Universities Commission approved the establishment of Abdulkadir Kure University, Minna, and this institution is situated on the same premises as the College of Education (COE), Minna, meaning two educational institutions are located within the same vicinity.”
He lamented that Suleja, being one of the nerve centers of commercial activities in the state, has contributed to the economic viability of Niger State over the years but has suffered from a lack of tertiary institutions, which has been detrimental to the educational development of its constituents.
“Niger State COE’s Suleja outreach center (Old Army Barracks), situated along Madalla – Suleja Road, is the largest COE satellite campus in the state. It has 15 classrooms, a 500-capacity lecture hall, a 33KVA transformer, three blocks of science laboratories, a library, and a female block hostel.”
“There is also an administrative block under construction. The study center is in an ideal location with the advantage of available land, free from encumbrances, and owned by the Suleja community. This will allow for expansion towards Zuma Rock along the Abuja/Kaduna Expressway,” he stated.
The lawmaker further noted that relocating COE to Suleja would ease the financial difficulties faced by his constituents in sponsoring their wards to schools outside the area and address the issue of out-of-school children.
After the presentation and deliberation, the House, presided over by the Speaker, Hon Barr. Abdulmalik Mohammed Sarkin-Daji, unanimously adopted the prayers of the motion.