By Jimmy Jackson
The Federal Government on Wednesday said it was exploring funding options for the country’s four Inter-university centres with a view to enhancing their training and research capabilities.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made this known at an interactive session with Chief Executive Officers of the Centers, according to a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The statement, which was signed by the Director of Press of the ministry, Ben Goong, said that he will open a line of dialogue between the Ministry, the Centers and the Tertiary Education TrustFund with a view to bringing the inter-varsity centers within the funding envelope of TETFUND.
The Minister also appealed to public and private universities across the country to patronize the centers for their training programs.
The four inter-varsity centers are; the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, the Nigerian French Language Village, and the Nigerian Arabic Language Centre.
Speaking in the same vain, the Minister of State for Education, Hon Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu promised that he will Interface with his colleagues at the National Assembly to make a case for improved funding of the Nation’s University centers, adding that training and research are key to National development.
Addressing the Ministers, the Chief Executives of the Centers complained of inadequate funding, low patronage, the Inability of their academic staff to rise to a professorial chair due to statutory constraints, as well as poor and dilapidated infrastructure.
