The House of Representatives has moved to pass a bill seeking the establishment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages.
Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu and eight others, the bill will establish a university for the promotion of the learning of Nigerian languages.
Section II part I of the bill provides that the university when established shall, “Encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring a higher education in Nigerian languages and cultures.”
The new bill also seeks to develop and offer academic and professional programmes that would lead to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research and higher degrees with an emphasis on planning, adaptive, developmental and productive skills in the field of Nigerian languages and cultures.
In addition, it will also aim at producing socially mature persons with the capacity to communicate, understand and use Nigerian languages for national development.
When established, the university would provide the platform for appropriate relationships with other national institutions involved in the training, research and development of Nigerian languages and cultures.
The President who is the visitor to the university, in Section 14 (2), is required to “As often as the circumstances may require, not being less than once every five years, conduct a visitation of the university or direct that such a visitation be conducted by such person or persons as the visitor may deem fit and in respect of any of the affairs of the university.”
The Visitor (the President) is also vested with the power to remove from office council members apart from the pro-chancellor and the vice-chancellor of the university.
The bill is expected to be listed for the second reading in the weeks ahead in preparation for a public hearing to garner stakeholders’ input.
