NUC APPROVES “UNIVERSITY OF AFRICA”

The National University Commission (NUC) has approved the University of
Africa, Toru-Orua, as the 43rd state university in the country.

Its approval followed the formal presentation of the relevant gazette law,
academic brief and physical masterplan as well as the satisfactory report
of the advisory resource assessment visit by the commission.

The University of Africa, Toru-Orua, is an initiative of the Bayelsa State
Government, which will, however, run as a Public Private Partnership
(PPP), since the state government will only provide the enabling
environment, while the financing would come from the private sector.

Giving the nod, through a letter dated 28 of July 2016, the Executive
Secretary of the commission, Professor Julius Okojie, while congratulating
the state government, noted that, the establishment of the university took
effect from the 28th of July, having complied with the basic requirements.

According to Okojie, the University of Africa is also the 143rd in the
Nigerian university system.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor,
Daniel Iworiso-Markson, yesterday and made available to the press,
Governor Seriake Dickson had led a delegation of top government officials
to the office of the commission in Abuja  and were received by executive
secretary, who briefed the governor on the latest development  and the
approval of the university.

The statement disclosed that, Okojie handed over the letter of approval to
Dickson during the visit, as he also commended him for the initiative.

In his remarks, Dickson, while thanking the NUC Executive Secretary for
the warm reception accorded him and his team, explained that, the
University of Africa, Toru-Orua was conceived as a public private
partnership and it is designed as a first rate institution of learning
that will also attract some of the best teachers from Africa and the
world.

He said the university will be funded by its partners and the government
would only provide the enabling environment  for its establishment.

The Bayelsa State Chief Executive said, there is need for more private
universities to be established and they must be fee paying, pointing out
that, it is the only way to make funding of  tertiary institutions viable
and sustainable.

His words "I am here leading this small delegation to present to you these
laws passed by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, establishing a new
university that we want to bring about working with the private sector. It
will be run on a PPP basis.

It is a University unlike the existing one, it will not be directly funded
by the state. Our belief is that moving forward for a university to be
sustainable, we must create room for private sector participation and
involvement.

The University of Africa, Toru-Orua, is the first of its kind in this
country, that is established by government with private sector involvement
and it will be strictly a fee paying tertiary institution that will
attract students from across the continent and the globe. It will be the
model as we encourage more private universities in this country"