By Sadeeq Muhammad Umar
Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has constituted a 17-man advisory committee on the upgrading of the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE), Sokoto, to a University of Education.
Headed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Sokoto State University, Prof. Muhammad Zayyan Umar, the advisory committee will soon be inaugurated by Gov. Tambuwal.
Members of the committee include five professors from Usman Danfodio University (UDUS), Sokoto: Professors. A. A. Bagudo, Abubakar Umar Dikko, Malami Umar Tambuwal, Nasiru Gatawa, and Mansur Ibrahim (Mni).
Others from UDUS are: Dr Mansur Isa Buhari, Mal. Abubakar Usman, Mallam Muhammad Kakale Jabo and Rilwan Muhammad of the UDUS Management Information System (MIS) and Mal. Sani Sahabi Bodinga from Sokoto State University.
Additional members are: Prof. Aminu Abubakar, the Provost of Sokoto State College of Agriculture, Wurno, Dr. Muhammad Wadata Hakimi, the Provost of the SSCOE and Pharmacist Abdulmustapa Othman Ali the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education.
The remaining members are: Dr Amamatu Yusuf, Dr Nasiru Daniya and Kabir Umar Imam, who will serve as Secretary to the committee.
The formal upgrading of the College follows the resolution of the last State Executive Council meeting presided over by the Governor.
Having celebrated its Golden Jubilee anniversary, produced quality middle cadre education manpower and being affiliated to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for several years, Gov. Tambuwal proclaimed the College a varsity on 28th December, 2020 and retained the name of the late former President Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (GCFR).
The desideratum of elevating the institution’s status, the state executive council reasoned, was to “address the shortage of professional manpower in our Basic and Post-Basic education sectors especially with planned establishment of Girls Science Junior and Secondary Schools in the state.”
Subsequently, the council “approved the upgrading of the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE), Shehu Shagari University of Education, Sokoto,” and the “constitution of an implementation Committee for the university”.
