During Tuesday’s plenary session, the Senate successfully passed legislation establishing the official legal backing for the Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education located in Kano State.
The bill sponsored by the Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin (APC, Kano North), was passed during plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
It seeks to provide the statutory foundation for the effective management and administration of the institution.
Recall that in September 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the conversion of the Federal Colleges of Education in Kano and Zaria into federal universities of education.
Following Senator Barau’s request, President Tinubu, on May 10, 2025, also approved the renaming of the institution as the Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano.
To give the institution a legal framework, Senator Barau sponsored the bill, which passed through the legislative process and was approved by the Senate for second and third readings.
While leading the debate on the bill, Barau said the legislation was necessary to give legal backing to the institution.
He commended President Tinubu for approving the institution’s upgrade and renaming, explaining that the bill would provide a legal framework for the promotion and development of teacher education and make comprehensive provisions for the university’s management and administration.
He said: “Mr Senate President, this institution has already been established by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“You may recall, my colleagues, that in the last Senate, I made efforts to facilitate the establishment of these institutions, including the Federal College of Education, Zaria, which was to be upgraded to a full-fledged university, as well as Alvan Ikoku College of Education and Adeyemi College of Education. The bills were passed and transmitted to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, but they were not assented to.
“When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office, I approached him and conveyed the desire of my people to have the Federal College of Education, Kano, upgraded to a full-fledged university. He assured me that, since it was the request of the people, it would be done. The President subsequently approved the upgrade of the institution.
“But we were not done yet. At the request of my people, I returned to the President to seek approval for the institution to be named after the late Yusuf Maitama Sule. The President immediately approved the request. Today, the institution is a full-fledged university offering degrees in various fields of education.
“We cannot thank Mr President enough. He loves Kano and has consistently acceded to our requests. Beyond this institution, he has also approved the establishment of the Federal University of Science and Technology in Kabo and the Federal Polytechnic in Rano. We cannot thank him enough for these interventions.”
In his remarks, Akpabio commended Barau for sponsoring the bill and thanked senators for supporting its swift passage.
He expressed optimism that President Tinubu would assent to the bill upon its transmission to him, thereby providing the university with the necessary statutory and regulatory framework to fulfil its mandate and continue contributing to national development.
What You Should Know
The Nigerian Senate has officially passed a bill to provide a robust legal foundation for the Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education in Kano State, solidifying its status as a full-fledged degree-awarding institution.
- Positive Impact: The new legislation guarantees proper administrative structure, effective management, and sustainable funding, which will boost teacher education, improve academic standards, and expand higher education access for citizens in Kano and beyond.
- Potential Concerns: While the legal framework is a major win for the institution, its success ultimately depends on timely presidential assent and consistent budgetary allocations to meet its expanding infrastructure and academic demands.
