The Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has awarded a contract of N720 million to renovate the burnt library complex of University of Jos.

Prof. Sebastian Maimako, the Vice-Chancellor of the university disclosed this on Friday while briefing newsmen on his achievements and challenges after one year in office.

It would be recalled that the institution main library complex housing learning resources of six faculties was gutted by fire on Oct. 8, 2016.

The library housed about 60 per cent collection of about 100,000 volumes, many computers and offices of two faculties and several departments.

Maimako said that the TETFund has given the university an award letter for the renovation of the library.

“The university management was proactive after the inferno by launching a programme code named: “Beauty from Ashes’’ to solicit for support all over the world to rehabilitate and restock the burnt library complex.

“We want to report that as at today, about 70 individuals and institutions of goodwill from Nigeria and abroad have responded to our call for assistance.

“We have so far received journals, books, computers and cash and the Federal Government crowned it all with the award,’’ he said.

The VC said that after the fire incident, Federal Fire Service deployed eight staff to the university.

He stated that the university established a mini fire office at Naraguta Campus to be managed by the men and officers of the Federal Fire Service, who have been organising drills for schools security personnel.

Maimako, who spoke on many issues, said that with the support of staff and students, the university had a seamless academic calendar in the 2015/2016 academic session.

According to him, in addition the management had been working hard to ensure that programmes that were denied accreditation were back on stream.

The VC announced that the school recently secured full accreditation for postgraduate programmes in the faculties of Management and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

In addressing infrastructure deficit, Maimako said that his administration secured funding for the continuation of work on the Senate building of the school.

He said that work had resumed on the construction of two-storey students hostel building of 130 rooms en-suit accommodation plus supporting facilities like common room, kitchen and restaurant.