National Universities Commission approves second Imo State-owned university in Umuagwo

NIGERIA'S National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the newly-opened University of Agriculture and Environmental Science in Umuagwo of Imo State making it the

171st university in the country.

Announcing the development yesterday at the NUC headquarters, in Abuja, Governor Rochas Okorocha said the university became necessary due to the increasing number of admission seekers from the state. NUC executive secretary, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, added that the new institution is now the second university owned by the state government, having satisfied the requirements of the commission.

Professor Rasheed said: “In line with our rules, we shall recognise this institution because it has fulfilled all the requirements. The Imo State House of Assembly has enacted a law in respect of the university and the governor of the state has also assented to the law.

“Of all the six universities proposed to be established by the Imo State Government, the University of Agriculture and Environmental Science has all strategic documents ready and they have been presented to us. The NUC therefore recognises the existence of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Science as the 49th state university as well as the 171st university in the Nigerian university system.”

Governor Okorocha added:  "There are over 600,000 students seeking admission through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board into Nigerian universities. Based on this, the state government is building more universities to cushion this challenge and provide more universities for our students to attend.

“We already ensured that infrastructure was in place and we also partnered private investors. It is a special purposed university."