The Yobe State House of Assembly has pledged to increase budgetary allocation and support for Yobe State University. This commitment was made by the Speaker of the Assembly, Chiroma Mashio, during a courtesy visit by the university's management team led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Muhammad Tahir. The visit aimed to strengthen the relationship between the university and the Assembly. Mashio described the visit as timely, particularly with preparations for the 2027 budget.
Mashio assured the university management that the Assembly would invite them to participate in the 2027 budget defence. He pledged to work with the institution to address its funding and developmental needs. The Speaker congratulated Tahir on his appointment as the fifth substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university. He noted that Tahir had previously served as Medical Director of the Police Hospital, Damaturu, before his appointment as Vice-Chancellor.
The Speaker also pledged the Assembly's support for the university to access interventions from development agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Universal Basic Education Commission. Mashio said the Assembly would use platforms like the Nigerian Speakers Conference to facilitate engagements with these agencies. He called on the university management to provide expert advice to the state government on challenges affecting primary and secondary education.
Tahir disclosed that his administration had embarked on measures to reposition the university for academic excellence, accountability, and greater community impact since assuming office in January 2026. He said the university had successfully conducted examinations for the 2025/2026 academic session and completed accreditation processes for Medical Laboratory Science and Radiography. The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that 16 medical doctors had been sponsored for foreign postgraduate training.
Tahir said seven medical doctors were already studying at Integral University, Lucknow, India, while six others were scheduled to travel to Malaysia in October 2026. The foreign training intervention was made possible through the support of Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni. Additionally, 32 academic staff had been sponsored for postgraduate training within Nigeria, while 70 academic and non-academic staff had benefited from in-house postgraduate programmes.
The Vice-Chancellor listed the commissioning of the permanent site of the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre as another major achievement. The centre was constructed and furnished with the support of Governor Buni. Tahir also disclosed that six new postgraduate programmes were introduced during the 2025/2026 academic session, while a new Faculty of Computing was established.
Mashio and Tahir emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Assembly and the university. The Speaker noted that the quality of students entering tertiary institutions was linked to the standard of education received at the basic and secondary levels. The Assembly's support for the university is expected to have a positive impact on the education sector in Yobe State.
Key points
- Yobe State House of Assembly pledges increased budgetary allocation for Yobe State University
- Assembly to invite university management to participate in 2027 budget defence
- University has sponsored 16 medical doctors for foreign postgraduate training
