The federal government says the Chinese government has pledged to build the University of Transportation, Daura scheduled to take off by September 2021 free of charge.
The university which groundbreaking ceremony was performed by President Muhammadu on December 2, 2019 is estimated to gulp a whopping $50 million.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who made the disclosure during his maiden inspection tour of the ongoing project in Daura, Katsina State at the weekend said that Technics Engineering Architectural Marketing, (TEAM), the project consultants, have promised to provide their services free of charge as well.
He explained that the main objective for setting up the University is to acquire technology needed to operate the railway system currently being built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) when the Chinese withdraws.
The minister also directed the contractors to include a primary and secondary school in the master plan to cater for the schooling needs of children of families who will be working there.
“Construction work will commence in September. What they are doing now is clearing. They have promised to build a primary school and a secondary school in the university. This university is a donation by the Chinese government through the China Engineering Construction Corporation, CECC. The Teachnigue, Engineering, and Marketing (TEAM) has also accepted to do the consultancy job”, he said.
Also, speaking he paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farooq Umar, the minister said the university was not part of the railway contract but was donated to the FG by the Chinses government free of charge.
“Let me also thank the CCECC for accepting to construct the university free of charge. It is not part of the railway contract, we spoke with CCECC and told them to train Nigerians who will take over from them in their technology and they agreed. All Nigerians from all parts of the country are entitled to come here for studies, In the same as lecturing. Those who will teach are not only going to come from Daura, they will come from all parts of the country.
“So, we agreed with CCECC to build the University, and we chose Daura. We believe that the school would be completed next year hopefully, and then we can start studies”, he said.
