In its quest to position the Federal University of Transportation, Daura (FUTD) for international relevance from its inception, the Vice-Chancellor of the University has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the University with the Deqing Association for Geospatial Information Professionals in China and the Russian University of Transportation.
This was made known in a statement made available to newsmen in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, by the Chief Information and Communication Officer of the University, Umar Usman. According to him, the MoUs include cooperation in geospatial technology, training, and application and are meant to endow FUTD with a strong academic grounding in transportation and allied technologies.
Usman also explained that the Vice-Chancellor, Umar Adam Katsayal, just returned from a summit in Zimbabwe where his visit was expected to advance the quality of education between students and lecturers at the University. In the statement, ‘Locally, the Vice-Chancellor, Umar Adam Katsayal, has embarked on visits to a number of key government institutions such as the NCC, NIMASA, Nigerian Shippers' Council, NITT, NTI, NCAT, and NRC, among others’. These visits are intended to connect the University with stakeholders, regulators, and practitioners in the transport sector in order to support the speedy growth of the nascent University.
Through these interactions, FUTD has also entered into MoUs with institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Federal Polytechnic, Daura; and the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement Centre of Excellence (SPESSECE) at ABU, Zaria, among others.
In December 2023, the Vice-Chancellor represented the university at the 1st International Workshop and Study Tour held at Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.
"In June 2024, he also joined the International Science Popularization Roundtable Discussion that had delegates from 17 developing nations and leaders from seven Chinese academic societies", added the statement.
It also reminded that in December 2023, Katsayal also attended the Russia Africa Summit in Russia, where a MoU for the formation of the Public Professional Association of Technical Universities was signed, and he was an active participant in this agreement.
"While presenting, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the specialized nature of FUTD and the fact that the University's unique courses were the first of its kind in Africa to make other African nations realize the opportunities the institution offers", the statement added.
The Zimbabwe summit was hosted by the Global Skills Hub, United Kingdom, and the African Education Stakeholders, in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe and sponsored by Lion Outreach International.
During the summit, the FUTD Vice-Chancellor read a paper entitled ‘Sustainable Transportation Education: A Pathway to Africa's Green Economy’. The summit, which started on Thursday, April 3, 2025, was formally opened on Friday, April 4, 2025, by the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. It had vibrant sessions presided over by experienced teachers, institutional leaders, policymakers, professionals, and NGOs, with world-renowned speakers, such as Katsayal, giving lectures on different sub-themes.
The summit served as a premier platform uniting distinguished education leaders, policymakers, funders, development partners, and thought leaders committed to transforming the future of education across the African continent.
