The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the provisional licence for the take-off of the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS), located in Igbo-Eno community of the state.
“With effect from Thursday, 21st April, 2022, the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences, Igbo-Ano, Enugu, has been recognised as the 219th university in Nigeria.
“We, hereby, pledge our support to the smooth takeoff of the University. We also encouraged the university management and Enugu State government to take advantage of the professional and technical supports which the NUC is ever ready to provide for the smooth running of universities in Nigeria.
The NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said to the State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi, in Abuja on Thursday, while handing over the license of operation to the Governor.
He also urged the state government to take note of the professional and technical advice of the commission as regards the statutory requirements on the establishment, sustainable funding and operation of the university.
Prof. Rasheed added that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) were being notified of the establishment of the university.
“Enugu is now joining three other states to establish a university of medical sciences. The first is Ondo State University of Medical Sciences, followed by Bayelsa University of Medical Sciences and then the one in Ebonyi.
”Today, we are getting the state-owned university of medical sciences which is also the first university of medical and applied sciences in the state.
“I am happy to note that this is not just another university being established, this is a university of medical and applied sciences.
Nigeria is in a state of crisis as far as medical education is concerned. So it will help to solve some of these crisis,” he said.
He added that adequate provisions had been made for sustainable funding of the new university. (NAN)