TETFund delivers ₦4.1bn legacy landmarks to IBB varsity, Lapai
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has added new architectural feathers to the cap of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai , commissioning two monumental projects worth ₦4.089 billion that could easily make rival campuses green with envy (and maybe a little motivated).
The projects — the Remodelled Abdulkadir Kure Senate Building and the Faculty of Law Complex — were funded under the 2023 Special High Impact Intervention and the merged 2020/2021 interventions. The Senate Building gulped ₦1.58 billion, while the Law Complex swallowed a cool ₦2.5 billion — and both, thankfully, appear worth every kobo.
Performing the commissioning on Thursday, Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees and former Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, said the Fund has invested a total of ₦15.25 billion in IBB University since 2011, with ₦13.04 billion already accessed — and, judging by the shiny new edifices, well spent.
Masari commended the university for being a “responsible spender” in an era when some institutions still blame rats for budget leakages. He noted that the new projects are proof that “public funds can, indeed, produce beautiful things when handled with sincerity and a good dose of supervision.”
He praised Governor Umar Bago’s administration for its “visible commitment to education,” saying without such support, “today’s commissioning might have been another promise still in the PowerPoint stage.”
Masari, however, lamented the suspension of foreign training for lecturers — no thanks to the naira’s battle with the dollar — and the few “escape artists” who disappear abroad mid-scholarship. He assured that local training and infrastructure will now take centre stage.
“IBBU should ensure proper maintenance of these facilities,” Masari urged. “TETFund will keep investing to make Nigerian universities globally competitive — at least until Harvard starts copying our designs.”
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, represented by the Fund’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc. Babatunde Olajide, described the new buildings as “not just brick and mortar, but symbols of progress, opportunity, and a brighter future.”
He commended IBBU’s management and Niger State Government for their collaboration and prudent resource management, urging staff and students to use the new facilities wisely — and not as selfie backgrounds alone.
Governor Umar Bago, represented by his Deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, hailed the projects as “a factory for justice and leadership,” describing the Faculty of Law Complex as one of the largest in West Africa, with over 100 offices, an e-library, a moot court, and facilities friendly to persons with disabilities.
He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to expanding access to tertiary education through new institutions, including the IBB University Teaching Hospital, Abdulkadir University, and the University of Agriculture and Climate Change. “Education,” he said, “remains the foundation upon which we are building a prosperous and self-reliant Niger State.”
Earlier, Prof. Mohammed Suleiman, Vice Chancellor of IBB University, could hardly hide his excitement. He called the commissioning “a milestone in the university’s history and a national investment in higher education’s future.”
Suleiman revealed that the remodelled Senate Building now boasts 70 offices, a 200-seat Senate Chamber, a 50-seat Council Chamber, and even a 96,000-litre water reservoir — enough to keep the campus cool through several power outages.
The Law Faculty, he added, features 106 offices, lecture theatres, an e-library, boardrooms, and a 450-seat moot court — a place where law students will practise arguing cases before facing the real ones.
The Vice Chancellor appealed to TETFund for more support, particularly to construct a major student hostel — because, as he put it, “even the best lecture halls are useless if students arrive too tired from trekking.”
With these projects shining proudly in Lapai, one thing is clear: TETFund’s legacy at IBBU isn’t just concrete — it’s confidence. And if education were a building, this would be one with marble floors and a solid foundation.