Federal Government Formalises Transfer of Bama College to Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship

Federal Government has formally taken over Umar Ibn Ibrahim El-Kanemi College of Education, Science and Technology in Bama, Borno State, as the permanent campus of the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama.

The transfer was formalised through the signing of a Deed of Transfer, a move the Federal Ministry of Education said would provide the university with a permanent institutional base for teaching, research, agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folake Davis, described the development as a major step towards strengthening specialised agricultural education and supporting food security and economic diversification.

Ahmad said the university was expected to equip students and farmers with practical agricultural and entrepreneurial skills that could improve productivity, support viable businesses and create employment.

She said agricultural education should extend beyond classroom instruction and subsistence farming to include innovation, enterprise development and participation in agricultural value chains.

According to the minister, the institution has the potential to contribute to economic growth in Borno State and other parts of the country by linking education and research to practical agricultural needs.

Ahmad commended the Borno State Government for its cooperation in completing the transfer and acknowledged the contributions of relevant departments, agencies, legal officers and other stakeholders.

She also charged the university’s management to maintain and make effective use of the facilities, manage its finances prudently, pursue realistic infrastructure development and uphold academic standards.

The minister called for partnerships with research institutions, agricultural organisations, manpower development agencies, private-sector operators and host communities to ensure the university delivers tangible benefits.

In her remarks, Davis described the institution as an initiative that could widen access to educational opportunities while promoting inclusive development through research, skills acquisition, innovation and entrepreneurship.

She cautioned that the signing of the transfer document must lead to the university’s effective take-off, saying stakeholders needed to ensure a smooth transition and prepare the institution to fulfil its mandate.

Davis said the university’s success should ultimately be assessed by its operational readiness and ability to deliver on its academic and development objectives.

The Permanent Secretary of the Borno State Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Yakaru Mustapha, described the transfer as historic and said federal ownership could strengthen the institution’s resources, research capacity and contribution to socioeconomic development.

The ministry’s Director of Legal Services, Mrs Mercy Vivan Agada, provided legal oversight for the transfer, ensuring that the deed complied with applicable legal and procedural requirements.

The development marks a formal step towards establishing the university’s permanent base. Its broader impact will depend on the pace of its operational take-off, the condition and adequacy of its facilities, the availability of academic staff and funding, and its ability to translate agricultural research into practical outcomes for students, farmers and local communities.