The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has inaugurated the remodelled Senate Building and Faculty of Law Complex at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State — projects valued at N4.089 billion.
The two landmark projects, executed under TETFund’s 2023 Special High Impact Intervention and 2020/2021 merged interventions, comprise the Remodelled University Senate Building at a cost of N1.58 billion, and the Faculty of Law Complex valued at N2.50 billion.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Thursday in Lapai, Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, disclosed that since 2011, the Fund had allocated N15.25 billion for infrastructure-related projects at IBB University, out of which N13.04 billion had already been accessed.
Masari, a former Governor of Katsina State, commended the university’s management for the judicious use of the funds, noting that the interventions have significantly enhanced the institution’s capacity for teaching, learning, research, and community service.
“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,” he said.
He also lauded the Niger State Government, under Governor Umar Bago, for its steadfast commitment to education, describing the administration’s support as “a key reason why this commissioning was possible.”
Masari said the newly inaugurated projects reflect TETFund’s continued alignment with the Federal Government’s vision of modernising tertiary education, through investments in power, medical training facilities, and ICT-driven innovation.
While lamenting the suspension of foreign training for lecturers due to exchange rate challenges and cases of abscondment, he assured that the agency would prioritise local capacity-building and infrastructure development.
“We urge the university to ensure proper maintenance of these facilities. For our part, TETFund will sustain impactful interventions to make Nigerian institutions globally competitive,” he stated.
In his remarks, TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, described the commissioning as a milestone for Nigeria’s higher education system. Represented by the Fund’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, 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.”
He praised IBBU’s management and the Niger State Government for their collaboration and prudent resource management, urging staff and students to protect and utilise the facilities for research, innovation, and service to humanity.
Governor Umar Bago, represented by his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, described the projects as “a factory for justice and leadership.” He said the Faculty of Law Complex — one of the largest in West Africa — boasts over 100 offices, an e-library, a standard moot court, and inclusive facilities for persons with disabilities.
Bago reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding access to tertiary education, citing ongoing projects such as the IBB University Teaching Hospital, Abdulkadir University, Minna, and the University of Agriculture and Climate Change, designed to align education with the state’s development agenda.
“Education remains the foundation upon which we build a prosperous and self-reliant Niger State,” he said.
In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor of IBBU, Prof. Mohammed Suleiman, described the event as “a milestone in the university’s history and a national investment in the future of higher education.”
He revealed that the remodelled Senate Building — now renamed the Abdulkadir Kure Senate Building — contains 70 offices, a 200-seat Senate Chamber, a 50-seat Council Chamber, and a 96,000-litre water reservoir. The Faculty of Law Complex, he added, includes 106 offices, lecture theatres, an e-library, boardrooms, and a 450-seat moot court.
Providing details of the contracts, Suleiman said:
“The Senate Building cost N1,584,998,463.70, with Bill Marx Associate Limited as the consultant. The Faculty of Law cost N2,504,381,517.61, executed by USALT Teleview Nigeria Limited, with Studio International as the consultant.”
The Vice-Chancellor appealed to TETFund for further support in building a major student hostel, pledging continued transparency and accountability in managing the agency’s interventions.
