African Church Varsity Takes Off Soon –Primate

Like the Anglican, Baptist, CAC and other churches, the African Church in Nigeria and Overseas plans to establish its own university.

The Primate of African Church, Reverend Emmanuel Josaiah Udofia, disclosed this to P.M.NEWS recently in Lagos at the 10th anniversary of the return of missionary schools to their owners by the Lagos State government.

At the ceremony held at the African Church Model College Hall, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, the church not only marked 10 years of the return of the school to it but also held a N10 million fund raising programme to improve the school.

In an interview with P.M.NEWS, Udofia said the African Church believed in the totality of education or its members.

Udofia said the church will soon join other churches that have established universities, adding that the church would soon apply to the government to upgrade its college of education to a degree awarding institution.

When it finally takes off, Udofia promised that the African Church University would charge moderate fees.

“I am against high school fees in mission-owned tertiary institutions. I have always prayed that God should grant me the grace to charge school fees that will not be beyond what an average Nigerian can afford,” he stated.

Chairman, National Education Committee of the African Church, Reverend Julius O. Abbe, however differs on this.

According to him, to establish a private university, one needs a lot of capital, adding that the issue of evangelism through education will be secondary in view of the billions of naira needed to put in place infrastructure to meet the required standard.

“Paying the lecturers, even acquiring the acres of land, the needed infrastructures to pass NUC test which is conducted from time to time, all these need big money that the church cannot rely only on the contribution of members to establish a university,” Abbe explained.

The cleric identified poor infrastructure, government’s attitude in not encouraging students and parental attitude, among others as factors responsible for the recent mass failure of students in examinations like WAEC and NECO.

Students, staff and members of the church were presented with awards in appreciation of their contribitions to the progress of the African Model College and other schools owned by the mission during the celebration.

—Moyo Fabiyi