Turkish University to Begin Operations in Nigeria
Nigerian Turkish Nile University (NTNU), a Turkish university, will open its doors to students on Dec. 9 in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.
The NTNU is the product of a network of Turkish high schools in various Nigerian states including Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Abuja and Yobe.
Stating that a university campus must sit on at least 1,000 decares of land under Nigerian law, NTNU Vice Chancellor Levent Altintop told the Anatolia news agency that the land for the NTNU was provided by the Nigerian president and the foundation of the university was laid on Jan. 20.
After the completion of the university buildings, the Nigerian government granted the university its license, allowing it to begin operations on Dec. 9.
“We took the chairman and several officials from the National Universities Commission [NUC] of Nigeria, which functions the same as the Higher Education Board [YÖK] in Turkey, to Turkey and visited a number of Turkish educational institutions. After seeing our institutions, the NUC officials approved the official opening of the NTNU within a year. Our university, one of 41 private universities in Nigeria, will start its first academic year with 400 students.
Currently about 300 students, 40 of whom are Turkish, have enrolled at the university, and the enrollment period is still continuing,” Altintop explained.
Pointing out that there will be 10 departments, including science, engineering and management faculties, at the university, Altintop noted they have hired 15 Turkish lecturers with advanced English levels and plan to hire Nigerian lecturers as well.
The vice chancellor further said that they aim to increase the educational level of not only Nigerians but also others residing in Africa and added that they plan to open a faculty of medicine within two years to meet the demand of Nigeria and Africa in health issues.
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