The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies ( NILDS) , recorded close to 100% on enrollment for its post graduate courses by interested students in the 2024 / 2025 academic year.
This is even as the Institute rolled out some executive courses for knowledge seekers to look inward for its acquisition at home rather than traveling abroad for it and invariably mounting pressure on Naira.
Geometrical increase on enrollment of students for the various post graduate courses of NILDS, was disclosed in Abuja on Monday by its Director – General, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman in his speech at the 2024/ 2025 Matriculation ceremony for post graduate students.
According to Professor Sulaiman, a total of 244 students enrolled for the various post graduate degree programmes and Diploma courses in the 2024/2025 academic year as against 190 students recorded for the 2023/2024 academic year.
He posited that the increase in the enrollment has correlation to quality of the courses being offered by the Institute.
“This year’s matriculation is unique in many ways. First, it presents a higher number of enrollments compared to last year across all our programmes that include Masters in Constitutional Law and Development, ‘Masters in Legislative Studies’, ‘Masters in Elections and Party Politics’, ‘Masters in Legislative Drafting’, and ‘Masters in Parliamentary Administration’. Other programmes are ‘Postgraduate Diploma in Elections and Party Management’, Postgraduate Diploma in Parliamentary Administration, ‘Postgraduate Diploma in Legislative Studies’, and Postgraduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting’.
“I must emphasise that across these programmes, enrolment has increased from less than 130 last year to 244 this year.
“The increase in the number of enrolment is a testament to the increase in the quality of our academic programmes at NILDS, which would not have been possible without the commitment of the leadership of the National Assembly, the partnership with the University of Benin, the commitment of our lecturers, and the support from the Executive arm of Government led by the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, through the Ministry of Education”, he said.
He added that as a way of reducing the pressure on Naira , the Institute has rolled out some executive courses that are not offered by any tertiary institutions in the country before.
“Through our tailored programmes such as the Advanced Executive Education Programme (AEEP), NILDS will also help to reduce the pressure on the Naira through its Executive courses that rivals those offered by global training institutions thus helping to reduce pressure on the Naira for international trainings as such programmes would be held here in NILDS”, he added.
The Vice Chancellor of University of Benin, Professor Bright Edoga Omoregie (SAN), admitted the matriculants into the University for the one year programmne offered by NILDS in collaboration with UNIBEN.