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The Senate has passed a bill sponsored by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin to provide a legal framework for the Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano, Kano State.
The bill was passed during plenary on Tuesday, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following a debate led by Barau, who represents Kano North Senatorial District.
According to a statement by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy Senate President, the legislation seeks to establish the statutory foundation for the university’s management and administration, as well as promote the development of teacher education.
Barau said the bill was necessary because, although President Bola Tinubu had approved the institution’s conversion from a federal college of education to a university, legislation was required to provide it with the appropriate legal backing.
President Tinubu approved the conversion of the Federal Colleges of Education in Kano and Zaria into federal universities of education in September 2024. He subsequently approved the renaming of the Kano institution as Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education on May 10, 2025, following a request by Barau on behalf of his constituents.
During the debate, Barau recalled that efforts to upgrade federal colleges of education into universities had been made during the previous Senate but the bills were not assented to by the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said Tinubu approved the upgrade after he presented the request of the people of Kano, adding that the President also accepted the proposal to name the institution after the late diplomat and statesman, Yusuf Maitama Sule.
“We cannot thank Mr President enough. He loves Kano and has consistently acceded to our requests,” Barau said, citing the approval of a Federal University of Science and Technology in Kabo and a federal polytechnic in Rano as other interventions for the state.
Senate President Akpabio commended Barau for sponsoring the legislation and thanked senators for supporting its passage.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu would assent to the bill when it was transmitted to him, providing the university with the statutory and regulatory framework needed to fulfil its mandate and contribute to national development.
The bill had passed its first reading on March 25, 2025, before proceeding through the subsequent stages of consideration in the Senate.
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