The University of Ibadan has secured a substantial sum of N1 billion to establish a pioneering Diaspora Research Centre, as revealed in a joint statement by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) on Thursday.

This financial commitment is an integral part of their collaborative effort to enhance education centers and resources for Nigerians living abroad, fostering knowledge exchange, research endeavors, and international projects.

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Abike Dabiri, the Chairperson of NIDCOM, conveyed that TETFund had diligently honored its pledge by allocating N1 billion towards the establishment of the Diaspora Research Centre at the distinguished University of Ibadan, a leading tertiary institution in Nigeria.

This pioneering center is set to be the first of its kind across Africa, bearing immense potential to shape the research and developmental landscape on the continent.

The Diaspora Research Centre is envisioned to be a hub for scholarly interaction, research initiatives, and transnational undertakings, as NIDCOM engages with the University of Ibadan to chart out groundwork, operational models, and implementation strategies.

Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, commended NIDCOM’s dedication to nation-building and its advocacy for collaborative research efforts.

He emphasized that the allocation of N1 billion for the Diaspora Research Centre was in alignment with NIDCOM’s recommendations and was included in TETFund’s 2023 budgetary allocation under the Special Intervention Initiative.

Furthermore, an additional N250 million was allocated to the University of Ibadan in the same budget for the establishment of a Global Research Centre, reinforcing TETFund’s commitment to research and development.

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The proposed Diaspora Research Centre is intended to house a diverse collection of resources focusing on African Diaspora and Transnational Studies, encompassing physical and digital materials such as textbooks, archival documents, multimedia resources, and online references.

It is positioned to be a prominent hub for academic activities, including teaching, research, fellowships, and exchange programs centered around diaspora and transnational studies.

The Executive Secretary underscored the center’s potential to facilitate collaborations and interface sessions with both local and international policy institutions, thereby elevating its global impact.

He highlighted the ongoing efforts of the University of Ibadan in formalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NIDCOM and initiating the process of selecting a TETFund-accredited firm to design the structure in alignment with the awarded grant.