Prof Moti
My attention has been drawn to the statement by the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) criticizing the inauguration of a Task Force for the take-off of the University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh.
As an academic who has participated in setting up Universities in other states, I want to explain why Benue needs another state University and not to join issues with the press statement line by line.
While constructive criticism is an essential ingredient of democracy, it is important that public discourse on education is guided by facts, history, and long-term development objectives rather than political expediency.
First, the establishment of additional state-owned universities is neither unusual nor a sign of misplaced priorities. Across Nigeria, at least seventeen states currently operate more than one state-owned university.
Delta State has four; Bayelsa has three; while Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Rivers, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto and several others have two each.
These states have recognized that the growing demand for higher education, specialized manpower and regional development cannot be met by a single institution.
The question therefore should not be why Benue seeks to establish another university. The more appropriate question is why Benue, a state renowned for its educational heritage and intellectual capital, should lag behind other states in expanding access to higher education.
It is worth recalling that Benue was the first state in Northern Nigeria to establish a state-owned university, then known as Benue State University and now Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi. I am glad to say that I was and am proudly associated with the efforts of the late Fr. Moses Adasu administration that actualised the dream in 1992.
At its establishment, there were similar criticisms and doubts. Today, the institution stands as one of the state’s greatest legacies, having produced thousands of professionals, academics, judges, administrators, political leaders, entrepreneurs and public servants who have contributed immensely to national and state development.
If previous administrations had succumbed to the argument that one university was enough, Benue would never have enjoyed the enormous benefits that Moses Orshio Adasu University has brought to the state and the nation.
The establishment of another university does not amount to abandoning the existing one.
Across Nigeria, states with multiple universities continue to receive intervention support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which provides infrastructure, research and academic development assistance to eligible public tertiary institutions. Why should we denial Benue of this national benefit? The existence of additional state universities therefore expands opportunities for educational development and access to federal intervention funding rather than diminishing them.
Furthermore, the University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh, reflects the changing realities of the twenty-first century economy. Agriculture, science, technology and innovation have become critical drivers of economic growth, food security and industrial development.
A specialized institution dedicated to these sectors aligns with Benue State’s comparative advantage as the “Food Basket of the Nation” and has the potential to promote research, innovation, agribusiness and job creation.
The attempt to create an artificial choice between supporting Moses Orshio Adasu University and establishing another institution is therefore misleading. Development is not an either-or proposition. Successful governments strengthen existing institutions while planning for future needs.
It is equally important to recognize that educational planning must take a long-term perspective. Universities are established not merely for present needs but for future generations.
Population growth, increasing demand for university education and the diversification of academic programmes make the expansion of higher educational infrastructure both necessary and inevitable.
This does not diminish the importance of addressing the challenges facing Moses Orshio Adasu University. Every stakeholder in Benue State shares the desire to see the institution adequately funded, academically stable and globally competitive. Supporting the growth of one institution should never preclude investment in another.
Indeed, the history of educational development in Nigeria demonstrates that societies progress by expanding opportunities rather than restricting them. States that have established multiple universities have done so because they understand that higher education is an investment in human capital, innovation and economic transformation.
Benue State should not be discouraged from pursuing a similar path. As a state with a rich educational tradition and a reputation for producing some of Nigeria’s finest intellectuals and professionals, it should aspire to consolidate its leadership in higher education rather than retreat from it.
The inauguration of a Task Force for the take-off of the University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh, should therefore be viewed as part of a broader vision for educational expansion and socio-economic development. It complements rather than contradicts the continuing need to strengthen Moses Orshio Adasu University.
History teaches that great societies do not build fewer centres of learning because existing ones face challenges. They reform, strengthen and expand them simultaneously. Benue State, which pioneered state university education in Northern Nigeria, should not be persuaded to abandon that proud tradition of educational leadership.
The real challenge before the state is not whether to have more than one university. It is how to ensure that all its institutions of higher learning are adequately supported to produce the skilled manpower, research and innovations needed for the development of Benue State and Nigeria.
Education is not a political distraction. It is a strategic investment in the future. Benue should lead that future, not fear it.
