The Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has spent N7, 879, 432,390 billion on intervention projects at the College of Education Akwanga, Nasarawa State, Minister of Environment Muhammed Abdullahi has said.
The Minister added that the commissioning of the projects would further enhance teaching and learning in the institution.
The Minister, who disclosed this during the commissioning of three newly-completed TETFund projects at the college in Akwanga, said the interventions were on infrastructure, academic staff development, and content, among others.
He said the newly completed projects: Home Economics Department Complex; Undergraduates Programmes Complex and School of Education Complex gulped N954, 804,436.14.
The Minister stated that the commissioning of the projects sponsored by TETFund were a continuation of the agency’s intervention in the institution.
He said: “These projects are: Home Economics Department Complex -N348,466,368.97; Undergraduates Programmes Complex,-N174,759,172.87; School of Education Complex -N434,578,894.30; total sum—N954,804,436.14.”
On academic staff development, Abdullahi said TETFUND has sponsored 108 lecturers from the college for Ph.D degrees, 179 for Masters Degrees, in both foreign and local institutions totaling N799,570,466.00, while 119 staff were sponsored to attend conferences, totaling N150, 925,069:00.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to education had been undaunted as observed in Buhari’s recent review of the two per cent education tax to three per cent.
The minister expressed Federal Government’s commitment to continuous provision of needed infrastructure for enhanced teaching and learning in the country’s tertiary institutions.
Commissioner for Education, Nasarawa State, Hajiya Fatu Jimaita, said TETFund, through its interventions, has played a remarkable role in the provision of quality education in the country.
While describing the federal government agency as the fulcrum of educational development in Nigeria, Jimaita thanked TETFund for the projects and expressed hope that the iconic structures would not only be put to good use but also protected.
Provost of the College, Rev. Jonathan Thani, noted the impact of TETFund on all aspects of the college, including staff training, infrastructure, and facilities among others.
While thanking the agency for the projects, Thani called for more interventions from TETFund, lamenting that the college which has over 16,000 students does not have a befitting library, except the old one constructed since 1973.
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Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, said the current administration has invested heavily on infrastructure in its over seven years of existence to aid teaching and learning in tertiary institutions.
Represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at TETFund, Babatunde Olajide, the TETFund boss said the agency’s interventions across tertiary institutions were carried out in line with enabling laws.
Echono noted that government’s commitment to the intervention was its attestation that it desired to have the nation’s tertiary institutions well ranked globally.
While disclosing that the projects being commissioned were started in 2019 and completed in 2022 with N1 billion, he charged the management of the institution to commit the buildings to good use and ensure maintenance of the structures for the for the advancement of learning in the college.
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