Inuwa hails FG for approving degree programmes at FCE Gombe

Segun Babatunde Awofadeji, Gombe

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the commencement of degree programmes at the Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe, describing it as a major milestone in expanding the institution’s capacity to train future professionals.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya made this remark on Tuesday when he received the Governing Council and Management of the College during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Gombe.

He emphasized that Nigeria’s greatest asset lies in its youthful population, stressing the importance of equipping them with the right education and skills to drive national development.

He urged the management of FCE (Technical) Gombe to maximize this opportunity by designing high-quality degree programmes that align with Nigeria’s industrial and technological needs, ultimately contributing to the nation’s progress.

“We have the numbers; about 65% of our population are youths under the age of 30. If given the necessary training and empowerment, they will develop the country and reduce our reliance on foreign nations for skilled labour,”  the Governor stated.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting education at all levels, citing the establishment of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at Gombe State University’s Dukku campus and ongoing collaborations with Michigan University to establish a Faculty of Agriculture.

“We are ready to support the college and give it the necessary push to improve and expand its impact,” he assured.

He noted that the gully erosion control project executed by his administration, covering 22 kilometers across multiple communities in Gombe metropolis, was a deliberate attempt to curb the menace of erosion within the college and several other communities in the metropolis.

“In addition to the gully erosion control project we conducted, which was part of a large project covering about 22 km across numerous communities in the Gombe metropolis, we will also consider putting more structures in the college,” he stated.

He immediately directed the Commissioner for Higher Education to engage with the council to identify priority areas for intervention.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Lazarus Gaza, praised Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s enormous investment in education across all levels and his support for federal tertiary institutions in the state.

“The purpose of our visit is to strengthen our collaborative partnership with the host community for mutual and reciprocal benefits for the college, the government, and all stakeholders,” he said.

He informed the governor that FCE(T) Gombe had successfully incorporated skill and vocational training into its academic curriculum to promote self-reliance.

“We are now set to start offering degree programmes without any affiliation with any university or institute of learning, and this will further strengthen our capacity,” he added.

Dr. Gaza described Governor Inuwa Yahaya as a “Teacher-Friendly Governor” and commended his initiative of building Mega Schools in each senatorial district, which he said would go a long way in reducing the menace of out-of-school children in the state.

He also appreciated the governor’s financial assistance to the college in multiple instances, specifically mentioning his timely intervention in controlling gully erosion at FCE(T), which, according to him, saved the college from severe environmental degradation.

In his remarks, the Provost of the College, Professor Ali Adamu, mni, expressed the college’s willingness to partner with the state government in vocational skills training, particularly for the state’s teeming youth. END