Vice President praises national institute, offers recipe for funding

Office Of The Vice President Press Release – Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said that the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies

(NIPPS) as a major national policy think tank needs to look inwards and evolve creative strategies for raising resources to meet its funding needs.

He made the observation today when he received in his office a delegation from the National Institute and Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, who paid him a courtesy visit.

Prof. Osinbajo averred that given the mandate of the Institute as a think tank for the nation, it should be able to explore opportunities to collaborate with the private sector towards generating the resources needed to sustain it. He referred to leading academic institutions around the world that raise funding and support from their societies through development offices.

The Vice President promised to work with the Institute to achieve their funding goals including through the establishment of a development unit. According to him ‘’I do not believe funding should a major challenge to the Institute’’.

Prof. Osinbajo however, said the Federal Government will see what can be done to address some of the challenges confronting the Institute. He also assured the delegation that their concern over IPPIS issue would be resolved with the Accountant-General of the Federation, promising he would work together with the Director-General of the Institute to proffer a lasting solution to the problem of funding.

While lauding the founding vision of the Institute as a national resource centre, the Vice President commended the Institute and personally confirmed the quality of its policy papers on national issues particularly the report on the Boko Haram insurgency. Earlier, the Director-General, National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Prof. Tijani Mohammed Bande, disclosed that the National Institute has produced over 1,700 important functionaries for Local, State and Federal Governments, who have added value to solving the nation’s problems.

Prof. Bande intimated the Vice President that the Institute has been working with the Department for International Development (DFID) and has produced a report on how to combat the Boko Haram insurgency on both mid and long term basis. He told the Vice President that the Institute was having problem with IPPIS, but emphasized on the problem of funding as the major challenge.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President (Media & Publicity)

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook