By Hajara Usman
The Pro-Chancellor of North-Eastern University, Dr Sani Jauro, on Monday said the University was not established for monetary gains but rather to serve as an institution that would invest more in research, leverage technology and innovations to drive national development for the benefit of Nigeria and Africa.
Jauro stated this during a news conference held in Gombe, shortly after a brief ceremony which resulted in the change of the institution ‘s name from Pen Resource to North-Eastern University, Gombe.
He stated that the institution was established to create a legacy as well as groom young Nigerians that would contribute immensely to the nation’s growth and provide practical solutions to the problems the country is facing.
According to the Pro-Chancellor, the University is poised to becoming one of the ten best universities in Nigeria within the next 10 years and efforts were already on to propel that dream to reality.
“We have already started driving researches that are aimed at proferring solutions to the challenges of our society and that is why we established a Centre for African Medicinal Plants Research in the institution.
“We have started conducting researches on all medicinal plants starting from the ones in Gombe State, then we will expand such gesture to Nigeria and Africa medicinal plants too.
“We are making innovations, leveraging modern-day technology in our effort to see that our graduates are up to date in all aspects of learning.
“We are mindful of unemployment challenge in contemporary time, so we are also skilling our students with relevant skills, digital inclusive to make them job givers and not job seekers upon their graduation,” he said.
Jauro while advancing reasons for the change of name, said the new name of the institution was in line with the institution’s vision to establish a university indigenous to the North-Eastern part of Nigeria in character and to propel Nigeria’s development.
Our correspondent reports that North-Eastern University has four Faculties, 27 degree programmes and a Centre for African Medicinal Plants Research among others within the two years of its existence with about 1, 000 students population.
Also, the new name of the first privately-owned tertiary institution was unveiled by the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, alongside Jauro amongst other dignitaries and students.