The Kano State Government's decision to revert Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education from a university to a college has sparked concerns among students, stakeholders, and the wider community.
The sudden change has left many wondering about the reasons behind the reversal and the implications.
Looking worried and frustrated, a Computer Science student, Karimatu Isa, received the news of the sudden reversal of Sa’adatu Rimi University to a college with shock, describing the move as a demotion.
She believes, “When we want to collect our certificate, it will not have a better quality because of the name; it is a demotion.”
Also, a first-year student of the institution, Suleiman Muzami, had considered attending one of Kano’s two universities, but for financial constraints and the upgrade of Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education.
“Before then, I intended to study at Yusuf Maitama Sule University but they said Sa’adatu Rimi would become a university, so I changed to Sa’adatu Rimi University.
“Now that they say Sa’adatu Rimi University is no longer a university - it is now a college – our degree is now somehow,” He lamented.
Lecturers are also responding to the development. Some say the initial upgrade was politically motivated without minding its adverse effect. To others, the upgrade reduced their salaries.
One of the lecturers noted that “if you are in the college of education, your salary as a chief lecturer is okay for you but what you will receive as a chief lecturer now, you cannot get it in the university.”
In May 2022, the administration of Abdullahi Ganduje upgraded the Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso to Kano State University of Education, a move that received mixed feelings.
But in a twist of event, on September 18, 2024, the Kano State Executive Council reverted the decision while maintaining the degree-awarding status of the college.
The state Commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye cited the risk of losing experienced lecturers, salary-related conflicts, and administrative challenges as the major reasons for the reversal.
Reacting, the President, Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education, Nigeria, Danladi Ali Msheliza says the facilities and funds required to run degree programmes were always higher.
Also, the Chairman Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union of Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Adamu Muhammad Fagge expressed the union's discomfort over the back-and-forth moves.
He stressed the need to maintain colleges of education in the state to produce more NCE teachers due to the problem of out-of-school children.
“As a corporate body which serves to promote teacher education, it is not always comfortable with that. The current situation in Nigeria still needs NCE teacher, there are so many states that are battling with out-of-school children.
“The minimum qualification that caters for this category of students is NCE, so if you are stopping it without bringing any replacement, you are creating a gap.” Said Muhammad.
Allaying the fears of worried students, Fagge highlights the dual-mode system adopted by the College of Education which allows students to run both degree and NCE programmes.
According to him, “The college management is now working on the same sets of students being placed under the affiliation programme being run in the college with BUK or ABU. They’ll continue with their level two.”
When contacted, the Deputy Provost Academy, Dr Usman Umar Zango, identified several factors that the previous government overlooked before upgrading the school.
These included the absence of take-off grants, loss of TETFUND support, staff salary conflicts, and the substantial running costs associated with operating a university, causing difficulties in the upgrade process.
Zango stressed that “Kano State Government already has two existing universities. TETFUND will only sponsor two universities, two colleges of education and two polytechnics. Automatically, if we are in university status, we are not going to be beneficiaries of the TETFUND.”
Zango however noted that the initial upgrade and reversion did not have much adverse effects on the school as the reversion came amid the five-year transition process.
He says he currently chairs a committee established to develop a plan for integrating current NCE holders into affiliate programs at Bayero University Kano and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
While this is ongoing, some stakeholders express fear that a future administration might reverse the decision again.
