Rivers approves RSU campus as temporary site for Ogoni varsity

The Rivers state government has approved the use of Rivers State University (RSU) Kira Campus as the temporary site for the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland.

Siminalayi Fubara, the state governor, announced the decision on Thursday during an inspection of the campus in Tai LGA.

This was following a request from the office of the national security adviser.

Earlier, President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland to advance research on environmental issues.

The approval, he had said, is a step towards addressing environmental justice and expanding educational opportunities in the Niger Delta region.

Fubara said the state government had consulted the RSU management, which oversees the Kira Campus, to assess the condition of its existing structures.

“They have already provided a written report, but I felt it was necessary to conduct a physical assessment. From what we have seen, it is a well-planned place and suitable for the university’s take-off,” he said.

Fubara said renovated structures and available land would ease the institution’s commencement of academic activities.

The governor assured the federal authorities that the state would formally release the campus after the assessment.

He also praised stakeholders involved in securing the approval for the university, noting its potential to enhance educational development and environmental research in Ogoniland.

Fubara was accompanied on the tour by RSU vice-chancellor Okogbule Nlerum, the Tai Council chairman Matthew Dike, and former RSU vice-chancellor Barineme Fakae.