THE UNIVERSITY of Abuja (UNIABUJA), said it has established ‘a state-of-the-art’ International Institute for Publishing Studies (UIIPS), to train manpower in publishing for Nigeria and globally.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, made this known at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.
Na’Allah said the institute would help Nigeria fill the gap that already existed in the place of training publishers.
“As a university, we must respond to the need of our nation. Printers are everywhere in this nation but there are no institutions training them.
“We, at the University of Abuja have the responsibility to bring out ideas and activities that will respond to our need because this obviously has become a need.
“Universities are suffering in this country; there are many publishers that are vanity publishers, publishers that do not know the academic world when publishing.
“You go through these books or materials published, you are ashamed and these things sometimes go outside the country,” he said.
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He said the institute would run a professional Master’s degree programme to bring out topmost professionals in the publishing studies that would make a mark in the nation.
He said the programme was subjected to new review, new research, strategy and development as ideas emerged.
He urged organisations, agencies, publishers of books and materials to bring in their personnel for training in the institute, adding that the institute would train for organisations and give them the best.
Na’Allah advised the institute to reach out to other publishing institutes around the world, collaborate and partner with others to produce the best.
He said the institution would welcome students not only from Nigeria but Africa, adding that it would not only respond to the needs of Nigerians in terms of publishing but Africa as a whole.
“We want this institute to be number one in Africa and to compete with others around the world. We want it to be one of our remarkable institutes in the university,” he said.
He thanked TETfund for building the academic publishing house that was now housing the institute.
He said the institute was not a government sponsored degree programme, adding that it would pay its own salary from the money they generated.
“It is not a programme subsidised by the government, they will pay salaries from the fund they generate and the fees for the programme will be affordable.”
The Director of the Institute, Emeritus Prof. Chris Ogbondah, said the institute would offer 12 months programme for professional master’s degree.
Ogbondah said that it would also be a 24 credit hours programme with six hours in practical or internship, which the students would cover as part of the curriculum for the master’s degree.
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According to him, the institute has state of the art equipment such as computers and other publishing equipment.
“The institute is well equipped and ready to run a master’s programme in publishing studies.
“Some of our lecturers are going to come from abroad. We have contacted two professors from University of Ghana.
“We have partnership in terms of profession, we have partnership with the Nigeria Association of Publishers and our students will have networking opportunity,” he said.
He said the institute would train people who could edit, use media content, illustrators among others.
He urged organisations to bring in their personnel for training to change the narratives in the publishing industry.
NAN reports highlight of the event was the inauguration of the institute by the vice chancellor. (NAN)
