Our Merger With GIJ, GIL Progressing – NAFTI Rector

The Rector of the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Dr. Samuel Nai has hinted that government is seriously engaging with stakeholders to establish the National Institute of Communication and Media Arts.

The University of Media Arts and Communication Bill aiming to merge the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ) and the Ghana Institute of Languages(GIL) as one University, has been laid before cabinet.

Speaking to Citi News on the subject on the sidelines of a disinfection exercise by Zoomlion at NAFTI, Dr. Samuel Nai said he is hopeful that the implementation of the policy will be properly done.

“Plans are in motion, just before the shutdown of the school we had a meeting at the ministry and we have been having consultations with the institutions concerned to see how this thing is going to go. But it is still in the planning stage and as time goes on I believe you the media will begin to know.”

“At this point in time, I cannot give you details but the structure is going to be more like a collegiate system where you have different colleges or schools under an umbrella which is the Media University, so that how it is going to be. I think that it is not a bad idea, depending on how it is done. But I believe looking at how things are going it will be done and done properly” he added.

The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, in his November 2018 budget presentation announced the impending merger of the GIJ, NAFTI and GIL into what he called the National Institute of Communication and Media Arts.

Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, had explained that the government's decision to merge the Ghana Institute of Journalism, the Ghana Institute of Languages and the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) into one tertiary Institute was to help them obtain a university license.

Professor Yankah said though the three institutions had applied to be Universities they did not meet the standard.

Stakeholders have raised concerns about the eventual loss of the'identities' and 'histories' of NAFTI, GIL, and GIJ after the merger.

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