7th Convocation: NIJ Provost Urges FG to Include Private Institutions in Student Loan Scheme
The Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Ogba, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye has strongly appealed to the federal government to consider students of private tertiary institutions as beneficiaries in the current Student’s Loan Scheme.
He was of the view that enrolment in post-secondary school education will increase in the country if government permits other students aside public tertiary institutions to benefit from the scheme operated by NELFUND.
Mr. Adefaye made this appeal during the media briefing held within the school premises in Ogba ahead of the seventh convocation ceremony of the institution.
According to him, the biggest challenge facing the institution is funding, adding however that it is not peculiar to NIJ, stressing the need for government and wealthy individuals to prioritize support for the sector.
Adefaye further said that NIJ still remains a top-notch training ground for Journalism and Mass Communication in the country, noting that students who already obtained B.Sc from universities were admitted for PGD classes for further exposures.
The Provost believes that the institution, despite the numerous challenges, is still living the dreams of the founding fathers as it remains one of the most sought-after by Nigerians wishing to acquire higher education.
On the reason behind the topic for discussion by the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Adefaye said that it was for public and national importance since the ICT and Artificial Intelligence affect our public lives.
The Customs boss, according to him, will provide insight in terms of happenings on survival and impacts of technology to their activities, while stressing that it will open the minds of the students to positively maximise the opportunity therein.
The Convocation, expected to hold from May 5th–6th, 2025, at the Sir Kessington Adebutu Resource Centre within the school premises, will feature the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, who will deliver the convocation lecture themed: AI and Public Governance, while former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution, will lead the event proper.
Out of the 707 graduands in categories including National Diploma, Higher National Diploma, and Post-Graduate Diploma from the 2022 to 2024 academic sessions, 60 graduated with distinctions.
