UI receives N1b for a diaspora research center

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission announced on Thursday that the University of Ibadan had secured the sum of N1 billion for the funding of a diaspora research center.

According to the two organizations, funding education centers and facilities for Nigerians living abroad is part of the plans to promote international collaboration, fellowship, and research.

“TETFund followed through with the commitment by earmarking 1 billion naira for the establishment of Diaspora Research Centre in University of Ibadan, one of Nigeria’s most prestigious tertiary institutions,” the Chairman of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri, said in the statement. The Diaspora Research Center, which will be the first of its kind in Africa, has a significant impact on how research and development are conducted there.

She informed the TETFund management that NIDCOM was in touch with the University of Ibadan, where the Diaspora Research Centre will be located, to discuss the project’s foundational elements, models, and implementation strategies.

Sonny Echono, the TETFund’s executive secretary, praised the Commission for its work in fostering national development and promoting research collaboration. The TETFund Boss claimed that the Diaspora Research Centre, which will be based at the University of Ibadan, followed NIDCOM’s advice.

The Executive Secretary continued, “Under the Special Intervention Initiative of the Fund, an allocation of one billion naira was provided in the Fund’s 2023 budgetary allocation for the establishment of Diaspora Center for Research and Development.

The recommendation that the institution submit an implementation plan for the timely start of activities was included in the allocation letter that was given to the University of Ibadan in May 2023.

Echono reiterated the TETFund’s commitment to research and development while also announcing that the University of Ibadan had also received an additional $250,000,000 Naira under the 2023 budgetary allocation (Designated Projects) as financial support for the institution’s Global Research Centre.

The Executive Secretary stated that “The Centre is proposed to house a rich collection of African Diaspora and Transnational Studies resources, including textbooks, archival documents, audio and video tapes, online resources, microfilms, and other related materials” while highlighting the significance of the facility to the international research community. It is also intended to act as a premier academic center for diaspora and transnational studies research, teaching, and other academic pursuits.

“According to the proposal, the proposed facility will serve as an incubator for hosting experts, practitioners, and policy professionals who are interested in and have experience conducting research, including hosting fellowship and exchange programs to create truly transnational knowledge with a global impact.”

He emphasized the goal of the research center once more and expressed his confidence that the facility would foster interactions and partnerships with organizations that formulate domestic and international policy.

The University of Ibadan is currently perfecting plans for signing the MOU with NIDCOM, which is the collaborating institution that has been interacting with TETFund on Diaspora Center of Excellence project together with NIDCOM, Echono stated explicitly when briefing on the implementation plan from the host Institution. The University has also started looking for a TETFund-accredited company to design the building in accordance with the grant’s value while working with the University of Ibadan.