Southern Kaduna Professors Condemn Opposition to New University in Kachia
University professors under the banner of the Southern Kaduna Professors (FOSKAP) have strongly condemned the opposition to the proposed establishment of the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, Southern Kaduna. The dissenters, they say, are wrongly claiming that Nigeria’s funding challenges for higher education justify blocking the creation of this new institution.
FOSKAP Chairman, Professor John Gambo Laah, expressed dismay over a national newspaper editorial that argued against the university’s establishment, suggesting it would bring about disaster for the country. Laah firmly rejected these claims, stressing that Nigeria’s funding issues in education affect all universities, public and private, and that not establishing the Federal University of Applied Sciences would not resolve these funding concerns.
“We cannot accept the argument that the new university would be a setback. All Nigerian universities face funding challenges. Denying the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, will not improve the funding situation of our institutions,” Professor Laah said, calling out those who oppose any form of development in Southern Kaduna.
He also highlighted that over the last decade, Nigeria has seen an increase in the number of universities, which has helped reduce the high student-to-staff ratios that the editorial criticized. According to Laah, every Nigerian has a right to access education, and media outlets should be wary of perpetuating educational inequalities that deny certain regions access to much-needed institutions.
Laah emphasized that the opposition to the university was rooted in deeper, discriminatory motives and called on Nigerians to critically evaluate the challenges faced by the people of Southern Kaduna, an area historically marginalized in terms of education and infrastructure.
He further argued that the claim that the government cannot afford to open new universities due to financial constraints is an unjust reason to continue denying education to underserved regions. FOSKAP urged the federal government to disregard such opposition and move forward with the establishment of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, which they believe will provide a much-needed boost to the region’s educational landscape.
