The management of Sokoto State University has appealed to the Sokoto State Government to approve the recruitment of more academic staff as the institution prepares to expand its faculties and academic programmes.
The request was made by the university's Vice-Chancellor, Muhammad Bello Yarima, during the combined fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth convocation ceremonies held in Sokoto on Saturday.
Yarima explained that the university, established in 2009 with three pioneer faculties, has grown to five faculties and is awaiting approval from the National Universities Commission for 22 additional academic programmes.
Once approved, the institution is expected to operate between eight and nine faculties.
He said the planned expansion would require more qualified lecturers to meet the demands of increasing student enrolment and the introduction of new courses.
According to him, the university is seeking approval to recruit additional staff to support the new programmes.
The vice-chancellor disclosed that the proposed courses include Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Engineering, Medical Sciences and Nursing, adding that the programmes are intended to help produce skilled professionals in areas of growing national demand.
Yarima also revealed that the university has introduced a monthly public lecture series to encourage research and the exchange of ideas among scholars and the public.
He further announced plans to establish a Centre of Excellence for Solid Mineral Research, saying the initiative would promote scientific mining and help address illegal mining activities.
He added that the university is already collaborating with institutions in India and China for training and equipment needed for the proposed centre.
According to him, the university has continued to benefit from interventions by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in infrastructure development, research and staff training.
He noted that several lecturers have received training in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and India through the support.
Yarima also praised Ahmed Aliyu for supporting the university, including funding the combined convocation ceremony and maintaining the state's policy of offering automatic employment to first-class graduates.
He disclosed that four first-class graduates were recently recruited into different faculties under the policy.
The university graduated 42 students with first-class honours during the combined convocation ceremony.
It also produced 779 graduates from the Faculty of Arts, 347 from Computing, 1,187 from Education, 1,886 from Science and 1,317 from Social Sciences.
Speaking at the event, Governor Aliyu restated his administration's commitment to improving education in the state.
He said the government had settled salary arrears owed to visiting and sabbatical lecturers, implemented salary increases for academic staff, renovated staff quarters and built a sports complex for the university.
The governor also commended former Sokoto State governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko for establishing the university, saying the institution has created more opportunities for students seeking higher education in the state.
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