The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities (CVC) has commended the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the Bank’s intervention in the development of certain infrastructure in Nigerian universities through the Nigerian University Capacity Building Programme (NUCBP).
Speaking during a courtesy call on the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, CON, at the Bank’s headquarters on Friday, July 12, 2013, representatives of the CVC led by the Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Professor M. Hamisu Muhammed, declared that through the process, the CBN had etched its name in gold in the annals of tertiary education in Nigeria.
Prof. Muhammed said the Vice Chancellors were at the Bank to thank the CBN and celebrate with the Governor over achievements that had been recorded since he assumed the mantle of leadership at the Bank four years ago.
He said the Vice Chancellors had followed the numerous successes recorded by Mallam Sanusi and his team at the CBN and were convinced that the Governor was determined to ensure that tertiary education in Nigeria regained its pride of place.
While listing some key projects in Federal Universities that enjoy support from the CBN under the NUCBP, Prof. Muhammed expressed confidence that the projects will change the face of university education in Nigeria. This, he noted, was particularly so as the state of some facilities had become deplorable, thereby reducing the ability of the institutions to attract students and faculties from abroad.
Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, mni, commended the CBN initiative, adding that work on projects at BUK was going on seamlessly and on course for completion in 2014. He disclosed that in anticipation of the completion, the National Universities Commission (NUC) had given approval for a programme in Banking and Finance. He further disclosed that the university hoped to commence various other programmes in specialised fields in Economics and Finance.
Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of Jos and Maiduguri as well as the representative of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos also took turns to commend the CBN for its intervention in the development of infrastructure in their respective institutions.
In his response, the CBN Governor expressed appreciation to the representatives of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors for the solidarity visit, noting that he had made a declaration at his confirmation as the Bank’s helmsman in 2009, to build on the successes recorded by his predecessors.
Mallam Sanusi recalled that long before now, the NUCBP was limited to only Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the University of Ibadan (UI). He, however, pointed out that the scope had since been expanded to include more Federal universities.
While noting that the apex Bank could not meet the requests of all Federal Universities, he pledged that the Bank will continue to provide necessary support to the tertiary institutions within the limits of the Bank’s capacity.
The CBN Governor also disclosed plans by the Bank to establish telepresence in CBN Centres of Excellence across selected Federal Universities, adding that plans are underway to establish a Trust Fund from which operational expenses will be drawn by the universities.
He noted that the delays experienced in the completion of some of the projects but expressed confidence that the projects will be completed on schedule as decisions had already been taken by the Bank’s management on the way forward.
Decrying the high ratio of out-of-school children in Nigeria, Sanusi revealed that the Bank is pursuing the idea of supporting projects aimed at retaining students in schools.
Members on the delegation of the representatives of the CVC included Profs. Hayward B. Mafuyai (UniJos), M. M. Daura (UniMaid), Usman A. El-Nafaty (ATBU), Ibrahim A. Njodi (UniMaid) and Funsho Falade (Unilag). Others were Ali Alhaji Deba (ATBU) and Arc. Sani M. Ali of Bayero University, Kano.
Also present were members of the senior Management team of the CBN.
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