Abuja — The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, has disclosed that through concerted efforts, the University of Transportation, Daura, has been enlisted and incorporated among tertiary institutions qualified for next year's Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Alkali made this known during his visit and facility assessment of the university at Daura, Katsina.

Alkali, in a statement in Abuja, noted that when he took over as the Minister of Transportation, President Bola Tinubu directed him to continue with all existing contracts, stating, "Not only to continue but to sustain the contracts in the Ministry of Transportation."

Alkali added that he embarked on an inspection tour along the rail corridor, which included the University of Transportation, Daura, constructed by Messrs China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) as a corporate social responsibility. He observed, among other things, that the institution was unmistakably lacking in certain infrastructure.

According to him, he has made considerable progress with the assistance and collaboration of the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, and TETFund.

Alkali said, "We have approached TeTFund, and the university has made all the checklists of the TETFund, so we will be enlisted against next year so that we have more infrastructure for the university to grow."

Alkali maintained that the university was not included in the federal government's 2023 appropriation. Tinubu has approved the institution's inclusion in the 2024 appropriation, even as he acknowledged the role of the NUC in appointing Ahmadu Bello University as a mentor University to enable the university to commence admission for the 2023-2024 academic year.

He believed that a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step and fervently believed that the university would attain the lofty expectation of being established in no distant time.