The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, has described Nigeria’s youth population as the country’s greatest national asset, urging increased investment in education and skills development to accelerate economic growth and national development.

Barau made the assertion on Thursday when the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Science and Technology (FUST), Kabo, Kano State, Chief Mrs Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, led members of the institution’s governing council on a courtesy visit to him at the National Assembly, Abuja.

The Deputy Senate President, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, stressed that Nigeria’s human resources, particularly its youthful population, must be adequately equipped to contribute meaningfully to national development.

“Our greatest asset as a nation is our human resources, particularly the youth. We must ensure they have access to quality education and the necessary skills to drive national development,” he said.

He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting educational institutions in providing young Nigerians with opportunities to acquire relevant knowledge, technical expertise and practical skills.

Barau also commended the governing council, management and staff of FUST Kabo for securing accreditation for 20 academic programmes, including medical courses, ahead of the university’s maiden academic session.

He described the achievement as remarkable, considering the relatively short period within which the institution had recorded significant progress.

“I am delighted with the remarkable progress recorded by the Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, within such a short period. I commend the Governing Council, management, and staff for this achievement and urge them to sustain the momentum by maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence,” he said.

The Deputy Senate President further expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for signing the legislation that facilitated the conversion of the former Federal Polytechnic into a university.

Earlier, Laoye-Tomori described the accreditation of the 20 academic programmes as a major milestone, expressing confidence that the development would enable the institution to commence academic activities on a solid foundation.

She noted that the achievement reflected the commitment of the governing council and management to establishing the university as a centre of academic excellence.