The National Universities Commission (NUC) has upgraded the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, into Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUST).

The Commission recognises the newly upgraded Institution as the 45th State University and 153rd in Nigeria.

Presenting the Certificate of Recognition in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed said that the University is now the 85th public University in the country.

Professor Rasheed said that the take-off of the university will mean that Ogun State will now have three state universities.

“Ogun state is the intellectual capital of black Africa. “From the NUC records, Olabisi Onabanjo University and Tai Solarin University of Education are two state universities but the addition of the University of Science and Technology will make it three.

“What this shows is that the governor is really doing well as he has the education of the state at heart. “Beginning from July 3, 2017, the Polytechnic has now been recognised as the 45th state university in Nigeria,” he said.

Prof. Rasheed also noted that the NUC did not just create the university for access alone but the integrity and sanctity of the degree in Nigeria university.

“Our qualities are of international standard, we have high standard in the quality of education in Nigeria. We are still working to review our curriculum to make it more competitive and ensure that it is of international best standards to solve our problems.

“We want to graduates students who are familiar with our culture, tradition, history, science; and we want those graduates to be citizens of the world who can fit in anywhere. We want to assure Nigerians that the quality of our degree is quite okay and we are working to improve on it,” he said.

He, however, called on other governors to take a cue from Ogun state governor and advance the course of the university system in the country.

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun in his response said that for any nation to get it right, the tertiary institutions must do well.

Gov. Amosun said that the upgrade of the Polytechnic to a University was done through the enabling law of the Ogun State House of Assembly.

He added that the university would be a reference point as the government of the state was committed to leave no stone unturned to take the university to its greater height.

He added that certain funds had been created for the funding of the university.

“As we are upgrading the Polytechnic to a University, we were earlier in Kaduna today to establish a new Polytechnic because we don’t want the Polytechnic to die like that, so we are relocating the Polytechnic to Ipokia area of the state. The University of science and technology will now be in Abeokuta,” he stated.

The governor said that a technical committee had been brainstorming in the last six years on the way forward to bring this to fruition.

He added that the University would also help to develop the human capital that would improve the industrial hub of the state.