The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has commissioned two landmark projects worth N4.089 billion at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, IBBU, Lapai, Niger State, executed under its 2023 Special High Impact Intervention and 2020/2021 merged interventions.
The projects which are the re-modelled university Senate Building and the Faculty of Law Complex were constructed at N1,584,998,463.70 and N2,504,381,517.61, respectively.
Speaking at the Commissioning Ceremony on Thursday in Lapai, the Chairman, TETFund Board of Trustees, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, noted that since 2011, the Fund has allocated N15.25 billion for infrastructure-related projects at IBB University, of which N13.04 billion has already been accessed.
Masari commended the university for the prudent utilisation of the funds noting that “We are convinced that the projects undertaken with these funds will continually impact the university’s mandate in facilitating teaching, learning, research and community service.”
The ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives praised the Niger State Government under Governor Umar Bago for its visible commitment to education, describing the administration’s support as “a key reason why the commissioning was possible.
He said the newly commissioned projects represent TETFund’s continued alignment with the Federal Government’s vision of modernizing tertiary institutions, including interventions in sustainable power supply, medical training facilities, and ICT innovation.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc Sonny Echono, described the commissioning as a milestone in advancing Nigeria’s higher education, stressing that world-class infrastructure remains vital for academic excellence and innovation.
Represented by the Fund’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc Babatunde Olajide, Echono said “These edifices are not just structures of brick and mortar; they are symbols of progress, opportunity and the future we envision for our youth and our nation.”
On his part, the Governor Niger State, Umar Bago, represented by his Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, hailed the projects as “a factory for justice and leadership.”
Bago described the Faculty of Law Complex as one of the largest in West Africa, boasting over 100 offices, an e-library, standard moot court, and inclusive facilities for persons with disabilities.
He also reaffirmed the state government’s resolve to expand tertiary education access through initiatives such as the IBB University Teaching Hospital, Abdulkadir University, Minna, and the newly established University of Agriculture and Climate Change, all designed to align education with Niger State’s development priorities.
“Education remains the foundation upon which we build a prosperous and self-reliant Niger State,” he said.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of IBB University, Prof. Mohammed Suleiman, expressed profound appreciation to TETFund and the state government for their unwavering support, describing the commissioning as “a milestone in the university’s history and a national investment in the future of higher education.”
Suleiman disclosed that the remodelled Senate Building, now named the Abdulkadir Kure Senate Building, contains 70 offices, a 200-seat Senate Chamber, 50-seat Council Chamber, and 96,000-litre water reservoir, while the Faculty of Law Complex comprises 106 offices, lecture theatres, e-library, boardrooms, and a 450-seat moot court.
