Gombe State University (GSU) has secured a N4 billion Federal Government infrastructure grant as it sets out to train the manpower needed to harness the Kolmani oil and gas reserves.
The newly confirmed Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sani Ahmad Yauta, made this known in Gombe while unveiling the institution’s plans to align academic programmes with the emerging opportunities in the hydrocarbon sector.
“GSU is not only committed to producing quality graduates but also determined to expand into vital fields such as engineering, petroleum exploration, and applied sciences, so our youths are fully prepared to seize the opportunities Kolmani presents,” Yauta said.
He commended Gov. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his support to the institution, noting that his administration approved the establishment of a Faculty of Environmental Sciences in Dukku and a Faculty of Agriculture in Malam Sidi.
“These expansions are part of the Governor’s vision to create wider access to higher education for Gombe youths while building a knowledge base that directly supports the state’s socio-economic growth,” he added.
According to the VC, the university has been allocated 365 hectares of land at Garin Tafida in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area for large-scale commercial agriculture.
The initiative, he said, would help reduce dependence on government subventions, create jobs, and enhance food security while moving the institution towards financial self-sufficiency.
Prof. Yauta further disclosed that GSU had entered partnerships with Michigan State University in the United States and other international institutions to build a world-class Faculty of Agriculture.
On infrastructure, he explained that the N4 billion grant would be deployed to construct lecture theatres, laboratories, and hostels, as well as to modernise existing structures to cater for the growing student population.
Reflecting on the university’s journey since its establishment in 2004, Yauta said the institution had recorded remarkable progress in infrastructure, academic programmes, and graduate output, adding that a tracer study showed GSU graduates were well-represented across ministries and agencies in the state.
He pledged to consolidate on past achievements while positioning the university as a centre of excellence in the North-East.
“With continued government support, partnerships, and the goodwill of the people, Gombe State University will stand tall on the global academic map,” the VC said.
