The Alumni Association of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, has raised fresh concerns over a key amendment discovered in the bill seeking to restructure the institution from a technology-based university to a conventional one.

The bill, sponsored by the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba, proposes to convert ATBU into a conventional university — a move earlier reported by PUNCH Online, which revealed strong opposition from the institution’s management, staff unions, and the alumni body.

In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Thursday, the National President of the Alumni Association, Mohammed Wada, said the amendment had removed the word “technology” from the university’s establishment Act.

Wada noted that the development signals “a shift towards transforming the institution into a conventional university.”

He warned that if the amendment reflects the bill passed by the National Assembly, “its passage and eventual enactment could severely weaken ATBU’s institutional mandate and technical capacity.”

“ATBU was established as a specialised centre for engineering, applied sciences, and technological innovation, and has for decades served as one of the northern region’s strongest anchors for STEM advancement,” he said.

The alumni body further argued that stripping the university of its technological identity could create long-term structural setbacks for the region.

It cautioned that the shift risks eroding competencies in applied engineering, innovation-driven research, and scientific development — sectors crucial to the region’s competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy.

“The amendment is not a minor legislative adjustment but a fundamental reorientation of the university’s purpose,” the association noted, warning that the move could weaken northern Nigeria’s entire STEM ecosystem for years to come. (PUNCH)