The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the establishment of the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS).
NUC issued the licence in Abuja on Thursday.
It was sequel to the enactment of the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Law of April 13.
The university is to be sited at Igbo-Eno, Enugu State.
Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, congratulated Enugu State for the establishment of the SUMAS.
Responding, Prof. Malachy Okwueze, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said: “we can’t thank Gov. Ugwuanyi for achieving this great goal.
“He has provided the platform for increased access to quality university education for our teeming youths who struggle year after year to gain admission into the university.
“These youths usually end up without fulfilling their desires and dreams for university education.’’
Okwueze said it was particularly worse in the quest to study medicine.
“The Enugu State University of Science and Technology receives more than 2,000 applications annually from our youths to study medicine.
“Only a paltry 50 applicants are offered admission to study medicine at the end.
“Even the University of Nigeria Nsukka, the federal university in Enugu State, offers only about 180 candidates admission into medicine dashing the dreams of thousands of our youths every year.
“And this is in spite of the deficit in the number of doctors and nurses required to optimise medical and healthcare services for our people,’’ he said.
He assured that the state government had made provision for sustainable funding of the new university.
The licence recognises SUMAS as the second Enugu State-owned university.
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