In it bid to ensure rapid Socioeconomic development, the Federal Government has inaugurated the Governing Council and Principal Officers of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology, Koroma/Saakpenwa, Rivers State.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, while inaugurating the council in Abuja, said the establishment of the university was to expand access to quality higher education in strategic fields.

Alausa said the university was put in place to address both national and global development challenges, particularly in environmental sustainability and technological innovation.

In his remarks, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, lauded the choice of Ogoniland as the host for the university, citing its peaceful and scenic environment as ideal for learning and research.

Wike, represented by the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, emphasised that the institution would not only serve as a beacon of innovation but also as a catalyst for socioeconomic growth in the Niger Delta region.

They explained that the choice to site the university in Koroma/Saakpenwa in Rivers State was both symbolic and intentional, given the region’s central role in Nigeria’s natural resource base and environmental realities.

Congratulating the newly appointed Council members, the Ministers urged them to demonstrate visionary leadership, strategic oversight, accountability, and unwavering integrity.

Responding, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Prof. Don Baridam, pledged on behalf of the council members to deliver on their mandate with humility and a deep sense of purpose.

Baridam described their appointment as a call to national duty at a time when environmental sustainability and technological innovation are critical to Nigeria’s development.