Communications minister, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, has given reasons why the proposed Information Communication Technology University will be funded by public private partnership, PPP, arrangement.
According to him, the Federal Government will only provide the infrastructure, adding that “we should be able to utilise the funds from the private sector to run it.”
This is just as the minister pledged to speedily implement the report of the committee set up to look into the establishment of the ICT Information University.
He made the pledge on Monday when he received the report of the 31-member committee charged to draw up modalities in establishing the ICT University in Abuja.
The minister said in about three weeks time, the ministry would come out with a memorandum to ensure that the university would commence operation by September as planned.
He explained that the university will be a legacy and hopes that posterity will judge right everyone that participated in its planning.
Speaking on the funding of the university, the minister said that it would be funded by the private sector, as the government’s part was to make available infrastructure.
“The university will be funded by the PPP arrangement, the Federal Government only provides the infrastructure, we should be able to utilise the funds from the private sector to run it.
“In doing this, emphasis would be placed on financing and entrepreneurship when selecting those that would partner with government on the establishment,’’ he said.
Shittu said the selection for the vice-chancellor of the school would be based on someone with an in-depth knowledge of ICT, especially the entrepreneurial side.
He said this was because it was hoped that any graduate from the university would have all the right skills to be an employer of labour rather than a job seeker.
He assured the committee that only veterans in the sector would be hired as lecturers to provide the right knowledge to students, adding that members of the committee interested should not hesitate to indicate their interest.
Shittu speaking on the cost of fees by students said he hoped that state governments would sponsor their indigenes to the university to get the specialised training for the progress of their states.
Earlier, Prof. Julius Okojie, Chairman of the planning and implementation committee said the university would have six campuses with three colleges (faculties).
According to him, these colleges will consist of Information Technology, Applied Technology and Society and Security Technology.
He said he was optimistic that the university would play a major role in the development of innovation as it would be a research institution.
He called on the government to engage lecturers well grounded in the sector, adding that government should endeavour to retain lecturers that had been trained by the school.
He decried the fact that many lecturers after being trained by government leave the country to go seek for greener pastures and called on the government to make sure that they retain the good hands available.
The former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission also advocated for the establishment of an ICT Museum where students could come and learn about the history of ICT development in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government had on June 1, inaugurated an implementation committee to facilitate the establishment of the proposed Information Communication Technology (ICT) University of Nigeria.
The Committee, made up of experts in the sector, both public and private sector were given six weeks to come up with a workable report on the establishment of the university.
