The Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to start five different programmes in anti-corruption studies to strengthen anti-graft crusade in the country.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Kabir Bala, disclosed this when a delegation from the anti-corruption body led by the acting Commandant, EFCC Academy, Prof. Ladi Hamalai, visited him in Zaria on Thursday.
According to Mr Bala, the collaboration between the participating institutions would, upon its effective date, introduce programmes in anti-corruption studies.
This, he said, include economic and financial crimes studies, cybercrime investigation and cyber-security, forensic accounting as well as digital forensic.
He added that the partnership would also lead to the award of basic certificate, advanced certificate and postgraduate diploma certificates.
Mr Bala explained that the university would through its relevant units ensure quality control of each programme.
He said the agreement would also facilitate the exchange of staff and, where necessary, students between the participating parties.
Earlier, Mrs Hamalai reiterated the commission’s obligation to work with ABU to strengthen the collaboration by ensuring that the MoU signed by the two institutions was implemented to the letter.
The commandant said the delegation was specifically assigned to visit and congratulate Mr Bala on his well-deserved appointment as the vice-chancellor at the instance of EFCC’s acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
Mrs Hamalai also described ABU as a federal research institution that was recognised nationally and internationally for its academic excellence.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that members of the EFCC team and heads of relevant units of the university later went into a technical session shortly after the courtesy visit.
NAN recalls that on February 25, the university and the EFCC signed the MoU in Abuja to run certificate, diploma and postgraduate diploma courses.
The collaboration is principally to promote learning and service to humanity and to produce high quality personnel and graduates.
Also, the personnel and the graduates should be equipped with the required knowledge and skills for the effective fight against corruption, enforcement of anti-corruption laws as well as investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes.
According to the MoU, all curricula to be used in teaching the courses should be those approved and in use at the university.
The EFCC academy should admit candidates into the various programmes using the prevailing admission requirements of the university.
NAN
