Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of the Federal University of Environmental Technology in Ogoni, Rivers State, as part of efforts to address environmental issues in the region.
The new university will be located in Tai, Ogoni, and will focus on environmental science, clean energy, and sustainable technology.
The president signed the bill establishing the institution on Monday, with his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirming the development in a statement on Monday, February 24, 2025.
The statement revealed that the university would be located in Tai, Ogoni. During the signing ceremony, Tinubu emphasised that the university would provide opportunities for empowerment, education, and development for the people of Ogoni and the wider Niger Delta region.
“It is more than the creation of a university,” Tinubu said. “It is the reaffirmation of our unwavering commitment to the people of Ogoni, the Niger Delta and the entire nation as a whole.”
He highlighted that the Ogoni people had long been at the forefront of the fight for environmental restoration, and the university would be a centre of excellence focused on addressing the region’s environmental challenges.
“As we look ahead, I urge all the stakeholders, traditional institutions, the academic community, the private sector, partners and all other youth to embrace this university as a beacon of knowledge, unity and progress,” he said.
“Together, we will ensure that it will not only fulfil its mandate but also stand as a catalyst for transformational development across the country,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, added that the university would offer interdisciplinary programmes to address ecological issues regionally and nationally.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu also hoped that the university would help restore Ogoniland and contribute to its long-term development.
The new institution marks another step towards addressing the environmental challenges in Nigeria’s oil-rich South-South region, particularly Ogoni, and is expected to play a key role in sustainable development and education in the country.
