The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said he will consider the recommendation to establish a Ministry of Higher Education in the state.
He gave this assurance after the Visitation Panel for Bayelsa State tertiary institutions—constituted by his administration in May last year—submitted its report, which included the proposal for creating the ministry.
The panel’s chairman, Dr. Oyovwin Osusu, presented the recommendation on Wednesday at Government House in Yenagoa while submitting the panel’s findings. He explained that the growing number of tertiary institutions in the state makes it necessary to separate their oversight from the current Ministry of Education.
Osusu, who also led the visitation panel to the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, noted that the proposed ministry would improve coordination by streamlining policies and administrative structures across the institutions.
He said: “I chaired the panel to the University of Africa. We worked according to the terms of reference, and the report is ready. But we included two recommendations that were not part of our terms of reference.
“We realised that the state had grown in the number of higher institutions. We have five already and there is a need to separate or create a Ministry of Higher Education to oversee the higher institutions and their activities.
“The Ministry of Education, as it is today, is very large, and its activities are cumbersome. So a Ministry of Higher Education will streamline the operational policies and structural administration of the higher institutions in accordance with the thinking of the state.
“Secondly, on funding, we recommended that the provision from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) be rotational between Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) and UAT. That way, the two schools can benefit from the activities of TETFUND.”
Speaking for the panel, he appreciated the governor for the opportunity to serve and expressed optimism that the recommendations would be implemented.
Leaders of sub-panels for different institutions also submitted their reports, including Dr. Martina Nwanyanwu (BMU), Prof. Steven Odiowei (Niger Delta University), Prof. Kingsley Alagoa (Bayelsa Polytechnic, Aleibiri), and Prof. Steve Azaiki—represented by Prof. Don Donbebe—for the Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama.
In his response, Diri praised the panel for its thorough work and described the recommendations as relevant and beneficial to the state. He reiterated his commitment to reviewing the proposal for a Ministry of Higher Education with his team.
On the matter of TETFUND allocations, the governor noted that UAT faces a unique legal challenge tied to its establishing law. He explained that resolving the issue would require amending the law before seeking additional support from the federal agency, rather than rotating funds.
He said: “On behalf of the state government, I commend the visitation panel for doing a painstakingly thorough job.
“Let me also acknowledge the chairman of the panel, Dr. Osusu, who doubled as chair of the UAT panel, for going a little outside the terms of reference.
“The issues raised are very important to us as a state, particularly creating a Ministry of Higher Education. The recommendations are very apt and we are going to take a serious look at them.”
Diri also highlighted progress made under his administration, noting that the College of Education in Sagbama, which previously lacked accreditation, now has full accreditation for its programmes. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to meeting accreditation requirements, improving learning facilities, and establishing governing boards across all state-owned tertiary institutions.