History, Development & Future Projection of the University
The increasing demand for access to University education by Secondary School leavers necessitated the establishment of an additional University in the State. In order to address this issue, the Kano State Government, under the leadership of Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE, decided to establish a second University in the State (City University Model).
Subsequently, a Technical Committee, under the Chairmanship of Prof. Lawan Alhassan Bichi was inaugurated by His Excellency, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (FNSE) on Thursday 24th November, 2011 at the Ante-Chamber, Government House, Kano and charged it with the responsibility of articulating a blue print for the project. An Academic Brief along with the draft law for the establishment of the University were prepared by the committee. Also, the future academic plans and the physical plan of the University were all developed.
The Technical Committee submitted its report to the Government, which His Excellency, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso presented to the State House of Assembly for the legal backing to facilitate the establishment of the University. The National Universities Commission (NUC), on Tuesday, 27th March, 2012 officially granted permission for the establishment of Northwest University, Kano as the 37th State University and the 123rd University in the Nigerian University System.
With this development, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (FNSE) inaugurated an Implementation Committee of the University on Tuesday, 27th March, 2012 at the Aminu Kano House, Abuja. The Implementation Committee, headed by Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, was mandated to work out all the requirements for the smooth takeoff of the institution, including the appointment of Principal Officers, Deans, Academic and Non-Academic Staff, admission of the 1st set of students, production of Staff Conditions of Service, Students Examination Regulations, Curriculum, among others. The Committee established four take-up Faculties, namely the Faculty of Education, Humanities, Social and Management Sciences, and the Faculty of Science. A total number of 14 Academic Departments with 28 Programmes were approved for the University by the National Universities Commission.
The development of the Academic Structure of the then Northwest University (now Yusuf Maitama Sule University) was divided into phases. This shall be the core strategy of the University in ensuring that its Academic Programmes attain the level of a world class University. A 20-year four-phase of academic development was envisaged for the then Northwest University. At the end of the 20-year period, it is expected that all Faculties, Departments and Programmes would be established with their full Academic Programmes. Each phase of the academic development of the University shall be for a period of 5 years and it shall be marked by the establishment of new Faculties, Departments and/or Academic Programmes. The phases were designed and enumerated as follows:
Phase Duration Session
Phase 1 5 years 2012/13 – 2016/17
Phase 2 5 years 2017/18 – 2021/22
Phase 3 5 years 2022/23 – 2026/27
Phase 4 5 years 2027/28 – 2031/32
The University was designed as a Faculty-based System for the development of its Academic Structure. Each Faculty shall have related Departments under its mandate area and the Departments will have Academic Programmes under them.
It was planned and envisaged that the University will, at its optimum growth after 20 years of establishment, have 12 Faculties with 71 Departments, running 267 Programmes at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Levels. It shall also have two schools namely School of Post Graduate and School of General and Entrepreneurship Studies to cater for the needs of Postgraduate, Remedial, General Studies, and Entrepreneurship.