The Senate has held a public hearing on a bill seeking to amend the law establishing Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, to allow its conversion from a specialised university of technology to a conventional university.
The hearing, organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), took place on Friday and was presided over by Muntari Dandutse, senator representing Katsina South and chairman of the committee.
ATBU is currently designated as a federal university of technology with a focus on science, engineering and technology-related programmes.
Several stakeholders made submissions for and against the proposed amendment.
Isa Yuguda, former governor of Bauchi State, spoke in support of the bill, arguing that expanding ATBU’s academic scope would benefit Bauchi State and neighbouring communities.
Yuguda said opposing the conversion would be unfair, noting that the university had already made progress beyond its original mandate.
“Any person that is against running the university as a conventional university is not being fair,” he said.
“I know what I suffered to get ATBU to run medicine, and today we have over 100 medical doctors.”
He argued that the university should be allowed to offer courses such as economics and other arts and social science programmes that are currently unavailable.
“There are many subjects—science, arts and social sciences—that are not being run but are needed,” Yuguda added.
However, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ATBU chapter, opposed the proposal.
Haruna Angulu, ASUU chairman at ATBU, said the amendment was unnecessary at a time when global focus is shifting towards technological advancement.
“Our position is very clear,” Angulu said.
“In an era where the world is going technological, what is required is increased funding to strengthen specialised universities of technology, not converting them into conventional universities.”
He also noted that ATBU is the only university of technology in the North-East, warning that the amendment could weaken specialised technical education in the region.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, urged lawmakers to carefully scrutinise legislation affecting national institutions and ensure that stakeholder input is fully considered.
“ATBU has, over the decades, served as an important centre of excellence in science, technology, research and innovation,” Akpabio said.
“However, like many public institutions, it has evolved beyond the frameworks envisioned when its enabling act was first enacted.”
He called on academics, administrators, students, civil society organisations and development partners to engage constructively in the legislative process.
Earlier, Dandutse said the bill seeks to update ATBU’s governance framework and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of key officers.
He acknowledged that the proposal to broaden the university’s academic offerings had generated debate among academics, policymakers, students and industry experts.
The committee is expected to consider submissions from stakeholders before making recommendations to the Senate.
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