A bill to amend the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Act, allowing the institution to offer courses beyond science and technology, has sparked divided opinions among stakeholders.
The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (Amendment) Bill 2025 (SB 910), sponsored by Senator Shehu Buba, has passed second reading and is now with the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund.
Supporters, including former NBA Bauchi chairman Jibrin S. Jibrin, argue that converting ATBU into a conventional university would expand access to arts, humanities, and social sciences, benefiting thousands of students in the Northeast, a region lacking a conventional federal university.
However, ATBU management says it was not consulted. Registrar Kabir Garba Aminu revealed that the Council and Senate were unaware of the bill, describing the initiative as a surprise development.
The university’s alumni, led by Mohammed Sani Wada, oppose the amendment, emphasising ATBU’s unique status as the region’s only science-and-technology-focused university.
Former TETFund Executive Secretary Prof Suleiman Bogoro also cautioned that broadening the mandate could undermine the institution’s hard-earned reputation in science and technology.
Leave feedback about this