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The Vice-Chancellor of Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Prof. Timothy Terseer Alabar, has held strategic discussions with former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and ex-Federal Commissioner for Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Amb. Prof. Steve Torkuma Ugba, aimed at fast-tracking the establishment of a Faculty of Mining at the institution.
The meeting, which took place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, forms part of the Vice-Chancellor’s ongoing stakeholder engagements to forge partnerships, expand academic offerings, and align the university’s growth with Benue State’s economic priorities.
Amb. Prof. Ugba, a Professor Emeritus of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at California State University, USA, pledged to leverage his extensive academic networks, diplomatic contacts, and professional experience to support the proposed Faculty of Mining. He emphasized that the new faculty aligns perfectly with Benue State’s abundant solid mineral resources and complements the development vision of Governor Hyacinth Iormemem Alia’s administration, particularly in harnessing the mining sector for sustainable economic growth and job creation.
Prof. Alabar welcomed the collaboration, describing it as a major step toward broadening the university’s academic scope and strengthening manpower development in critical sectors of the state’s economy. He reiterated Adasu University’s commitment to building strategic partnerships that drive research, innovation, and long-term institutional excellence.
The proposed Faculty of Mining is expected to offer specialised programmes in mining engineering, mineral processing, geosciences, and related fields, positioning the university to produce skilled professionals capable of contributing to the exploitation and management of Benue’s vast mineral deposits.
Stakeholders view the initiative as timely, given the state’s rich deposits of limestone, barite, gypsum, kaolin, and other minerals, and the growing emphasis on diversifying the economy beyond agriculture.
