The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Aba, the approval to award degrees in affiliation with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, with effect from 2024/25 academic session.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Executive Director of the Institute, Prof. Obiajulu Emejulu, during a press briefing on Monday made this known as he mark the end of his five – year tenure as the Institute’s boss.
According to Prof. Emejulu, “the National Universities Commssion, in letter dated 20th May, 2024, and signed by its Director of Academic Planning for the Executive Secretary, approved for the Institute to run full -time degree programmes on the following courses: B. Ed. Early Education;B. Ed. Business Education;B. Library and Information Science ( B.LIS);B. A. Igbo and Community Studies;B.A. Ed. Igbo Language; B.A. Linguistics, and B. Sc. Mass Communication. The Institute got the approval to run the degree courses in affiliation with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, with effect from the 2024/2025 academic session.”
Emejulu while speaking on the academic programmes of the institute, said his administration secured approval and full accreditation for all its NCE programmes by the National Commission for Colleges of Education ( NCCE), after the Commission’s Accreditation Visit in December, 2023.
The institute’s boss also noted that NINLAN sustained and upgraded its older academic programmes, namely, Post-graduate Diploma/ Post- graduate Diploma Conversion Programme; Sub – degree Diploma, and Diploma Programmes under his watch.
He said, “More and more Nigerian languages are now catered for in our programmes. We cover Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Efik/Ibibio, Fulfulde, Kanuri, Tiv,Urhobo ,and more are coming on board.”
The exiting Executive Director noted his administration made an outstanding contribution in the welfare of the Institute’s staff, especially in staff promotion: “When I became the Executive Director, the Institute had no Professor on ground nor did it have any Reader/ Associate Professor on its academic staff. But within the five years of my Administration, we elevated three academics to Full Professors, six to Associate Professors and many others to Senior Lecturers. Among the non- teaching staff, my Administration produced six Deputy Senior Registrars and Senior Deputy Bursars, the zenith of career attainment for non – academics in the University system ….Not fewer than 300 staff promotions have been effected since my assumption of office .”
The Professor stressed that his administration converted the staff of the Institute to Federal Government – paid staff, something according to the director, ”Greatly boosted the earnings, standard of living and morale of all the teachers and other workers in the staff schools and positively affected the Institute’s internally generated revenue profile.”
The Executive Director said that, judging by its Act, NINLAN is the Apex Establishment in the country in matters relating to research in and development of Nigerian languages. He said that in that direction,” just a few days ago, in our Conference Hall, we inaugurated a Nigerian languages development App which we call Omenka App or “Aapu Omenka” in Igbo. The aim of the App is to enable Nigerians to learn our languages on – line from any part of the world. Equivalent Apps for other languages are coming up.”
Prof. Emejulu, in his final requests to the Federal Government,urged that they amend the Act regulating the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) so as to make its coverage include the four Inter-University Centres in the country – NINLAN; the Nigerian French Language Village, Badagry; National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, and Arabic Village, Ngala. Secondly, he asked the Federal Ministry of Education to give NINLAN its due place and regard in the implementation of the recently approved Nigerian Language Policy, so that the aims of the Policy will be better realized for the benefit of the country.