By Maryam Abeeb
The National Universities Commission, NUC, has approved two new state owned universities for Lagos State government.
It was gathered that the Lagos state government has merged the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, and the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe, to form a university of education and also Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu to become a university of science and technology.
The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof.
Abubakar Rasheed during his welcome address at the approval programme in Abuja, said that Lagos state has become the headquarters of Universities in Nigeria, noting that the Lagos State University, LASU is one of the serious universities in the country.
He commended the commitment of the state governor, Babatunde Sanwo-olu to the state university.
According to him, the NUC approval will make the state owning the 2nd University of Education in Nigeria, which is good for the development of the educational sector of the country.
The NUC boss explained that the state as the heart of industry, technology if properly supported can help in the state determination to transit into a knowledge based economy.
He emphasized that investment in Education will determine the future of every society.
While presenting the certificate to the Governor, he said that University of Education Lagos state, is the 2nd University of Education and the 56th state owned university in Nigeria, while the Lagos State University of Science and Technology is the 57th state owned university in the country.
‘’If Lagos state wants 10 more varsities under Governor Sanwo-Olu led administration. We will approve. We also pay attention to quality, producing half-baked graduates that do not help the institution and country. We believe that the governor’s requests are in order, we are in need of quality teachers,’’ he stated.
Responding, the Governor of Lagos state, Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu explained that records have shown that every year, it has been difficult to reach the demands of the country’s teeming youth in being a reference point to compete with other youths globally.
He said that education has been his administration’s key cardinal pillar of growth and development.
The Governor said,’’ Our university continues to be home to thousands every year, we have grown to be the second best and best state owned university in Nigeria. What we are doing today is about history and our youths that have believed in us to do the right thing.
‘’It will bring about innovation, science, technology, it is the proper thing to do, given the demands that we have today. What we have done in LASU, we will reciprocate in the two new approved universities. We will make all the needed resources available for them.
