Deputy of the President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, has tasked universities and other tertiary institutions in the country to prioritise and commercialise research and as done by their counterparts in developed nations.
Senator Barau made the call when he received the management of the North West University, Kano, led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Amina Salihi Bayero, at the National Assembly, Abuja.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, he urged the management of the country’s higher institutions to diversify their revenue sources through commercialisation of research for wealth creation.
Senator Barau, who chaired the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND in the Eighth Senate, said: “Do not leave innovations in laboratories or bookshelves. Patent them and create value from them.”
“Top global institutions like Harvard, MIT and Cornell leverage research, collaborate with industries, and generate revenue through innovation. I encourage you to adopt this model,” he added.
He noted that sustaining and developing higher education was a venture that required collective efforts and not a single entity.
” Maintaining and developing a university is not something that can be assured by just a single entity or person. It needs the assistance, intervention and cooperation of all,” he said, adding that even institutions established and funded by the Federal Government routinely seek external support.
Highlighting the importance of human capital, the Deputy President of the Senate said education must remain a top priority.
“Human capital is the key driver of development globally. It is no longer about resources like petroleum or solid minerals. The number one factor of production in any nation is human capital,” he said.
Praising the Vice-Chancellor’s proactive approach and the university’s rapid growth since its establishment in 2012, he announced the donation of a coaster bus to the institution.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Amina Salihi Bayero who assumed office in December 2025, said the visit was to explore ways of collaboration between the university and the office of the Deputy President of the Senate.
She commended the contributions of the Deputy President of the Senate to the country’s education sector through numerous interventions including scholarships and grants, and the provision of critical infrastructure to higher institutions.
She said the university which started with one faculty at inception now had 10 faculties and a student population of thirty thousand.
