By ABAH ADAH, Abuja
In its quest to equip its Mass Communication Students with practical training and prepare them for the highly competitive information technology (IT) driven world, Prime University Abuja has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Education Monitor Newspaper.
Sealing the deal with Education Monitor on Thursday in his office, the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Moussa Mahamat Boukar, said it was a very welcome development as the policy of the institution is to ensure that the students have hands-on training in addition to the theoretical aspect to make them authorities in their chosen fields as they proceed to the market after graduating.
“We’ are delighted to have you here for this engagement because our policy is to ensure that the students are exposed to hands-on training in addition to the theoretical aspect for them to be relevant in the highly competitive labour market when they graduate,” he said.
The VC stated emphatically that he would not want the engagement to be a one-off thing. According to him there was the need to ensure that the zeal and commitment brought into signing the agreement continues to wax stronger for an enduring result-oriented collaboration between the two organisations.
In his brief remarks, the Dean, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Prof. Abbas Ibrahim, who spoke in the same vein, said the faculty embraced the partnership and would do all it could to support it.
The Head of Department of Mass Communication, Prof. Ridwan Adeyemi, who coordinated the process, also expressed his delight over the deal, suggesting a situation whereby as the partnership progresses online journalism drill would be made an internship programme for the students to undergo under the initiative.
Responding, the CEO/Group Editor-in-chief of Education Monitor Group of newspapers, Waziri Isa Adam, who was represented by the Abuja Bureau Chief of Education Monitor, Mr Abah Adah, assured the VC and his management team of maximum support to ensure that the objectives of the partnership is achieved to the latter.
Some of the students of Mass Communication who spoke to Education Monitor expressed their satisfaction with the way the university has continued to pursue excellence by inculcating practical based knowledge in them.
Speaking, a 300 – level student, Muntari Rukaiyya, said, “I feel so happy being a student where emphasis is on both theory and practical. We cannot have it better anywhere. I thank the management for embarking on the partnership aimed at giving us the best.”
Speaking in the same vein, Okoye Jenifer and Tahir Bilkisu Bajjo, also 300-level students, expressed their appreciation to the management for availing them the opportunity of hands-on training, promising to make the most of the partnership between the school and Education Monitor to improve further in the knowledge of online print journalism.
Prime University is a private, newly licensed university in the Dafara settlement, Kuje Area Council, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria, established in 2023.
It is career-oriented, focusing on preparing students for professional success through technology-driven and innovative learning, with its initial faculties being Science and Computing and Social and Management Sciences. The university emphasises a serene environment, state-of-the-art facilities, and a mentorship culture to develop skilled professionals, global citizens, and leaders.
The mission and vision (i.e.) of the university is to be a leader in innovative education and a lifelong mentoring centre for incubating global citizens.