From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi
President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated six Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) sponsored projects at the Benue State University, Makurdi, worth N2,612,410,000.
Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, who represented President Buhari at the ceremony yesterday in Makurdi, noted that the TETFund also sponsored 20,332 lecturers from the university for Ph.D degrees in both foreign and local institutions, totalling N153,521,887,426.41.
According to him, 16,513 went for Masters degrees in both foreign and local institutions, totalling N42,276,142,212.13; 92 for post-doctoral totalling N951,568,084.80; 993 for Bench work totalling N5,052,039.48 while 54,229.00 staff have been sponsored to attend conferences in both foreign and local totalling N23,199,986,710.49.”
He pointed out that other public tertiary educational institutions in Benue State, such as Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, have also be benefitted from TETFund intervention efforts.
Vice Chancellor of Benue State University, Prof. Joe Tor Iorapuu, acknowledged efforts of past visitors to the institution including Revd Fr Moses Orshio Adasu; Senator George Akume; Gabriel Suswam and Samuel Ortom for assistance, assisting for the growth and development of the institution.
He said the institution requires expansion and called on TETFund to further assist in the expansion programme of the university.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sunny Echono, said the federal government has made huge investments in the educational sector amounting to N18.3 billion from 2011 to 2021.