The Federal Government has upgraded the National Institute for Nigerian Languages in Aba, Abia State, to a degree-awarding institution.
Outgoing Executive Director, Prof Obiajulu Emejulu, revealed that the National Universities Commission approved the upgrade in a letter dated May 20, signed by its Director of Academic Planning.
The approval allows NINLAN to offer full-time degree programs.
Emejulu listed the new degree courses as 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 will offer these programs in affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, starting from the 2024/2025 academic session.
Reflecting on this milestone, Prof Emejulu stated, “I am glad that I am exiting as the Executive Director of NINLAN leaving the Institute as a degree-awarding Institution, something that had eluded it for more than three decades, in spite of many efforts.”
He urged the National Universities Commission and the National Assembly to expedite the review and amendment of the NINLAN Act to allow the Institute to award its own degrees independently.
Emejulu also called on the Federal Government to amend the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act to include coverage for the four Inter-University Centres; NINLAN, the Nigerian French Language Village in Badagry, the National Mathematical Centre in Abuja, and Arab Village in Ngala.
Additionally, he appealed to the Federal Ministry of Education to recognize NINLAN’s role in implementing the recently approved Nigerian Language Policy to achieve the policy’s goals.
