UniAbuja establishes international institute of publishing studies
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 UniAbuja, 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 needs 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.
He said the institute would run a professional Master’s degree programme to bring out top professionals in publishing studies that would make a mark in the nation.
He said the programme was subjected to a new review, new research, strategy, and development as ideas emerged.
He urged organisations, agencies, and publishers of books and materials to bring in their personnel for training in the institute, adding that the institute would train 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 from 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 at the university,” he said.
He thanked TETfund for building the academic publishing house that is 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 programmeme subsidised by the government; they will pay salaries from the funds they generate, and the fees for the programmeme will be affordable.”
The Director of the Institute, Emeritus Prof. Chris Ogbondah, said the institute would offer a 12-month programme for a professional master’s degree.
Ogbondah said that it would also be a 24 credit hour programme with six hours of practical or internship work, which the students would cover as part of the curriculum for the master’s degree.
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 the University of Ghana.
“We have partnerships in terms of profession; we have partnerships with the Nigeria Association of Publishers; and our students will have networking opportunities,” he said.
He said the institute would train people who could edit, use media content, and be illustrators, among others.
He urged organisations to bring in their personnel for training to change the narratives in the publishing industry.
Supreme News reports that the that the highlight of the event was the inauguration of the institute by the vice chancellor.
