President Bola Tinubu has approved the adoption of Tai Solarin University of Education in Ijagun (TASUED), Ogun State, as a federal university.
This makes it the first federally owned tertiary institution in the Ogun East senatorial district.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement.
Established by the Ogun State Government in 2005, TASUED holds the distinction of being Nigeria’s first specialised university of education.
Tinubu expressed gratitude to the Ogun State Government for inviting the Federal Government to take over one of the state’s best educational assets, adding that the move honours the legacies of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Tai Solarin.
“It is an opportunity for the Federal Government to honour Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who began the revolutionary free education programme in Western Nigeria, and Dr Tai Solarin, who spent most of his life educating our children and instilling patriotic and leadership lessons in them at Mayflower School in Ikenne,” Tinubu stated.
The president also acknowledged the role of the Awujale of Ijebuland in preventing the university’s closure in 2012, just seven years after its establishment.
Tinubu emphasised that TASUED’s transition into a Federal University of Education is a strategic step in the Federal Government’s commitment to bolster teacher education and enhance the quality of instruction across all educational levels.
With TASUED’s new status, the Federal Government oversees three education universities. Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education in Owerri and Adeyemi Federal University of Education in Ondo are the country’s other two universities of education.
