The Senate’s proposal to establish the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship in Bama, Borno State, was met with broad support from stakeholders at a public hearing on Monday. Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC, Borno Central), who sponsored the bill, emphasized that the university would be Africa’s first of its kind, focusing on agriculture and entrepreneurship to address Nigeria’s unemployment crisis.
The hearing, organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND, underscored the urgent need for this specialized institution. Senator Lawan highlighted that the university would equip youth with entrepreneurial skills to turn opportunities into viable businesses, fostering job creation.
Lawan stressed that Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate—currently at 53%, the second-highest globally after South Africa—is driving social challenges. The proposed university aims to counter these issues by preparing graduates to be self-sustaining contributors to the economy. Committee Chairman Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse echoed this vision, saying the university would produce job creators rather than job seekers.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, along with the Shehu of Bama, Dr. Ibn Umar Kyari El-Kanemi, and other regional leaders, expressed gratitude for the initiative, promising to support the university’s development to boost the local economy and improve livelihoods in Borno State.
