‎BY AHMED AKANBI

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‎The Senate, on Tuesday, stepped down a bill seeking to relocate Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa to Nasarawa Eggon after concerns raised by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

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‎The bill, sponsored by Senator Envulu-Anza Danladi (APC Nasarawa North), sought to move the institution from Nasarawa West to Nasarawa Eggon in Nasarawa North.

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‎Akpabio advised the lawmaker to sponsor fresh legislation for a new polytechnic in Nasarawa Eggon instead of relocating the existing one.

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‎The advice came during consideration of the Federal Polytechnics Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

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‎Presenting the bill, Danladi said the polytechnic in Nasarawa West had been upgraded to a university, leaving Nasarawa North without a federal tertiary institution.

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‎”The Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa West Senatorial District has been upgraded to a university status, and my bill is to urge this hallowed chamber to relocate the upgraded polytechnic to Nasarawa Eggon,” he said.

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‎He said Nasarawa North has no federal institution, making relocation necessary to correct imbalance.

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‎But Akpabio said the bill could not proceed because the institution had already been upgraded.

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‎”Your bill cannot go for second reading because you are talking about relocation. If you relocate it, it has already been upgraded to university status, so if you relocate it, you are relocating the university and the whole community will not be happy,” Akpabio said.

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‎He urged Danladi to leave the upgraded institution where it is and seek a new polytechnic for his constituency.

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‎”What you need to do is, in view of the fact that the existing Federal Polytechnic has been upgraded, leave it where it is, then bring a fresh bill for a Federal Polytechnic to be created in Nasarawa Eggon

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‎”The Senate will support you, and I believe the President will support you, because that is like replacing the old Federal Polytechnic, because that one no longer exists,” Akpabio said.

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‎He likened it to upgrading a primary school to secondary school, saying the former ceases to exist.

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‎”If you have a primary school in your village and then you request and the Federal Government upgrades the primary school to a secondary school, that primary school no longer exists,” he said.

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‎Danladi accepted the guidance, saying: “I think that should be the best way. Your Excellency, I am most obliged for this guidance.”

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‎The bill was subsequently stepped down to allow for fresh legislation for a Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa Eggon.