13-year-old state-funded university still has no students

Tanzania’s Mwalimu Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology in Butiama District, Mara Region has been receiving millions of shillings in government funds for over a decade, yet it has not enrolled any student since it was established, reports The Citizen.

Though it requires a budget of more than TZS1 billion (US$428,000) per year, it barely receives a fraction of that amount, and it has never trained a single student. According to information acquired at the university during a weekend visit by parliament’s Social Services and Community Development Committee, the institution currently gets TZS400 million (US$171,000) per year.

The university employs 80 people, including more than 60 academic staff, over 40 of whom are currently studying at different levels including PhD. What is most intriguing is that the university has been without students for 13 years, despite the presence of a chancellor and lecturers. Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology Omary Kipanga said that one of the factors that led to the college not offering lectures was the absence of qualified staff.
Full report on The East African site