Signboard at the gate of the University of Northern Bahr el Ghazal (Photo: Courtesy)

The University of Northern Bahr el Ghazal will be open for the first-ever lectures in September 2023, the governor has announced.

Tong Akeen Ngor said studies will commence although the state university is still being built nine months after the construction was launched.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio on the weekend, Akeen said the university has started students’ registration, and that lectures will commence next month.

“The University of Northern Bahr Al Gazal, which reminds us of the dream for the people, will see the light now the registration is going on teaching will start in August or September for the first time,” Akeen said.

“The University space is big, and the construction of the fence is going on we evacuated the people who were staying at the university, and we compensated them.”

Governor Akeen further commended the state for its improved performance in the recently announced Certificate of Secondary Education, which he said, has placed NBGs in the 3rd position countrywide compared to the 7th position of the previous years.

“In education, we took good steps in the national results we used to fall in position 7,8 or 9 that is in case we performed well but this year we build schools in the state, and we improved from position 7 to 3 in the country in terms of education”.

The construction was launched in December 2022 by Governor Akeen in a bid to expand educational services to citizens in the state.

In April this year, the state government raised over 100 million South Sudanese Pounds during a fundraising for the construction of the public university.

The event held in Juba was attended by top government officials, businessmen, and other people of goodwill.

During the event, President Salva Kiir pledged 40 million pounds, while his security advisor Tut Gatluak gave away 4 million pounds and Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi reportedly contributed unspecified amount.

Former Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek Ateny, and another presidential are also said to have contributed three million pounds each.