The Fiji National University Labasa Campus at Naiyaca Subdivision is expected to be ready by the end of 2017.

The planning work of the campus has been continuing since Labasa was spared from the devastation of Tropical Cyclone Winston.

This was confirmed by the FNU Chancellor and Chair of Council Ikbal Jannif.

He said the land fill area has had to be extended to allow for a workshop for FNU’s National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) division.

“The ground floor will have some heavy equipment on it, and therefore, needs to be built on a solid surface,” Mr Jannif said.

“The additional land fill work has just begun and should be complete in six to eight weeks.

“After this a retaining wall is to be built around the filling area before construction can begin later this year.”

The buildings of the campus will be done in stages.

“The first stage will include the administration building; lecture rooms, tutorial rooms and computer laboratories,” he said.

“The other support divisions will be in the second building and the third building will contain more lecture rooms for NTPC.

“The fourth building will be the workshop and all these should be ready by end of 2017,”Mr Jannif said.

He said the project would be done in phases as finance becomes available.

“Government has given us a grant of $5 Million for 2016,” he said.

“Once the campus is complete with accommodation, this will mean that students from the North will not have to travel to Viti Levu for many of the programmes.

“FNU has never had a campus in Labasa and has always operated from rented premises since the days of Fiji Institute of Technology (FIT).

“Currently, we are renting from several people.

“We have about 600 students on campus; some on full time basis while some doing part-time study.”

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