Bill to merge NAFTI, GIJ and GIL laid before cabinet

The University of Media Arts and Communication Bill aiming to merge the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ) and the Ghana Institute of Languages(GIL) as one University, has been laid before cabinet , Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah has revealed.

The move became necessary when government observed none of the Institutions qualified to be an independent University.

Apart from GIJ, NAFTI and GIL award their degrees through their affiliated University, University of Ghana. Government however believes consolidating the three institutions would enable them to award their own degrees, maximise resources and improve infrastructure.

Prof.Kwesi Yankah made the disclosure during a retreat on Tertiary Education Policy Document in Koforidua Friday noting “a number of bills on tertiary education have also reached various stages of consideration in Parliament”.

He said the amendment of the “Technical University Bill has been passed by Parliament while the National Research and Innovation Fund Bill is at the Attorney General’s Department ready for Gazetting. A bill splitting UDS into three autonomous Universities is in Parliament; the Ghana Technology University Bill is at the Attorney General’s Department; an Education Regulators bill merging NAB and NCTE and reforming the process of affiliation has gone through cabinet”..

The Policy document among other things also provides opportunity to address occasional inconsistencies between provisions in the National constitution and Provisions in University Acts or Status particularly on appointments of University Councils .

The Policy document, also covers in broad terms Policies on Institutional Governance , admission entry requirements, relevant academic program development, industrial partnership, equity and access, quality and relevance, staff-students ratio, Financing of Tertiary Education, gender among others.