By Steve Oko

The Vice Chancellor, AMADEUS University Amizi, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Professor Samuel Nzotta, has appealed to the Federal Government, to review the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TetFUND, mode of operations to enable the intervention body provide research grants to scholars in private universities.

Professor Nzotta who made the appeal during a pre-matriculation press conference of the university, said this had become imperative to enable private universities in Nigeria fulfil their vision and mission.

This is as he hinted that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, would be in Abia to formerly unveil the university at its forthcoming maiden matriculation ceremony.

He argued that scholars in private universities should not be excluded from research grants as they also have the competence to carryout earth-shaking researches which could benefit human society at large.

Professor Nzotta explained that contrary to misconceptions in some quarters, the motives for the establishment of private universities is not solely commercial but to help bridge the yawning gap in the education sector.

He noted that despite the quality structures and facilities in the university including water-tight security measures, its charges were made to be affordable.

This, he said, was in line with the founder’s passion to vision to give back to society.

Professor Nzotta disclosed that the university had put in place various strategies to attract research grants from international funding agencies and corporate bodies to complement the seed grant by its founder.

“We are technology- driven and established to provide quality and affordable education to the people”.

The VC lauded the Founder, Dr Godwin Nwabunka, for floating scholarship schemes for indigent students and students from the host community to give them opportunity to realize their dreams.

“There is also a scholarship scheme for best performing students in all the various faculties of the University”, he said.

Responding to a question on the selling points of the university, the VC said that all 19 programmes of the institution had been approved by the National Universities Commission, NUC.

He identified some of the programmes to include: Cyber security, software engineering, forensic science, data science, information technology, nursing science, among others.

The VC who said the vision of the university, “is to produce globally competitive, self- reliant products”, added that its focus “is to provide leadership in research”.

Members of the university Management were present during the press conference.