The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on Thursday donated buildings named ‘CBN Centre of Excellence’ worth seven billion naira to Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria.
Speaking with newsmen during the inauguration of the project in Zaria, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said the project was part of the apex bank’s intervention in education.
Mr Emefiele explained that the centres would be delivered in phases and the first phase which comprised the University of Nigeria Nsuka, University of Ibadan and ABU Zaria were ready.
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He said others that were under construction were University of Lagos, University of Port Harcourt, University of Jos, Bayero University, Kano and University of Maiduguri.
According to him, education and health are the bedrock of any nation’s development and there is the need to invest in them.
The governor said the purpose of establishing the centre was to have post-graduate studies in Economics, Accounting, Banking, Finance, Management and Marketing.
He said that the centre which had auditorium that could accommodate 500 students would compete with any business school in economics, banking and finance globally.
According to him, the hostel rooms are equipped with ICT facilities and an ea-Library.
Mr Emefiele said that when the centre becomes operational, programmes such as Forensic Accounting, Global Financial Market, Risk and Compliance Management would be run at the centre.
He said the bank would get involved in the facilities’ management to ensure the centre was not run down.
The governor also disclosed that the bank would bring in accounting specialists and practitioners working in central banks across the world to bring their wealth of experience to bare in the centre.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibrahim Garba commended CBN for the gesture.
Mr Garba said the donation of the centre was the highest intervention the university had ever received, adding that it would enhance academic learning, especially at post graduate level.
He said the centre had given the university the opportunity to establish a Business School to offer Economics, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration and Statistics in post graduate studies.
The CBN’s Centre of Excellence at University of Nigeria Nsuka was inaugurated in January this year.
NAN
