The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Tuesday announced plans by the Sultanate Council to establish an all-Women Medical University in Sokoto.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the Sultan made the disclosure in Sokoto at the launch of Northern Education Initiative Plus Project, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID).
According to him, the technical committee set up to provide the framework and action plan for the establishment of the university had since completed its assignment.
“We are now on the second phase of the establishment of the institution which entails the collation of experts opinions.
“It is after all these are concluded that we will approach the National Universities Commission for its approval and the eventual granting of licence,” Abubakar said.
The monarch said that the council would involve both local and international partners, including Bill Gates Foundation, in the evolution of the university.
The Sultan explained that the move would boost girl child education and bridge current inadequacy in the number of females in the medical profession.
He commended the state government for its recent declaration of state of emergency in the education sector and its plan to enrol 1.2 million children into schools in the next nine months.
The Sultan promised to partner with the state government and legislature to enact a law that would punish parents that refused to send their children to school..
“The sultanate council will make sure that all the 85 districts in the state work tirelessly to ensure that any parent who refuses to enrol his child in school is duly punished..”
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, commended USIAD for its commitment to the education sector in Nigeria.
Tambuwal said that the state would spend 27 per cent of its 2016 budget on education to ensure successful implementation of the state of emergency declared on the sector.
The USAID Nigeria Mission Director, Mr Michael Harvey reiterated the commitment of the United States government towards improving the education sector in the state and the country in general.
He said that the U.S government would continue to push for universal access to quality education by both sexes.(NAN)
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