New federal varsity Kachia kicks off with 2,000 students
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The newly established Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia (FUASK), recently approved by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has commenced its maiden academic session with about 2,000 pioneer students inline with Federal Government directives.
President Bola Tinubu had while granting establishment for the University directed the commencement of academic activities in September, 2025.
Addressing the new intakes, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Quirix, described the take-off as a landmark achievement and a boost to Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Quirix further revealed that FUASK’s curriculum was deliberately designed to produce self-reliant graduates with entrepreneurial and innovative skills.
“We have integrated 30 per cent of our curriculum, as guided by the National Universities Commission (NUC), with courses in business enterprise development, environmental studies, and social governance. Our vision is to produce graduates who will not solely depend on government jobs but will be problem-solvers and job creators,” he explained.
“When starting a new university, there are bound to be challenges. Some students experienced glitches with the online registration system, but we made provisions for onsite technical assistance, and this has paid off. Many of them are now completing their registration, and in the coming days, everything will stabilize,” Quirix said.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had approved personnel and overhead costs for the institution, while the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) provided capital support to drive ongoing construction projects across the campus.
“The Federal Government has been supportive, but of course, funding is never enough. We are exploring other avenues to ensure sustainable growth,” he added.
According to him, of the 1,000 candidates already offered admission through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), 650 had accepted their offers. He stressed that the management was committed to ensuring every student passed through the proper central admission process.
On security, the VC reassured parents, and students of safety.
“The management is determined to do its best in providing security. If you look around, you will see security personnel already deployed to safeguard both staff and students,” he said.
Some of the pioneer students expressed excitement about their admission. Bonath Jethro, admitted to study Cybersecurity, commended the university for a smooth academic registration process.
Similarly, Ofurum Chioma, a Medical Laboratory Science student from Delta State, expressed joy at securing admission and pledged to focus her research on solving local health challenges.
FUASK is among the new federal institutions established to expand access to higher education in underserved regions of Nigeria.
