The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr. Abdullahi Baffa

  • TETFUND gives condition for local conference sponsorship

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), has said that from Jan. 2019, it would restrict the sponsorship of academic staff members of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria to local academic conferences.

    The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Dr Abdullahi Baffa, said in a letter he sent to Vice-Chancellors of the nation’s universities that the sponsorship condition was that such dons were to make paper presentations at such conferences.

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    Our reporter reports that a copy of the letter was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Ilorin.

    In the letter dated Aug. 30, Baffa said that TETFUND’s new position “is in line with the Fund’s policy that is aimed at supporting teaching staff of Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.

    He said this is to fulfill part of its primary assignment of carrying out research and dissemination of research findings.
    The letter was signed on behalf of Baffa by the Acting Director, Academic Staff Training and Development, Dr Salihu Bakari.
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  • N168bn spent on education projects -TETFund chief

    The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, said on Tuesday the agency has spent N168 billion on education projects under the Special High Impact Allocation.

    He said the money was given to 12 universities, six polytechnics and six colleges of education.

    Baffa, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said the intervention was never suspended as reported in several quarters.

    He said: “We have spent about N36 billion on that recently aside the N132billion already spent on Special High Impact Project before now, making that over N168 billion.

    “These projects have all sprung up across the beneficiary institutions landscape and we are happy to say that we have thousands of projects all the 202 beneficiary institutions.

    “Quite a number of them have been completed, a number of them I have commissioned already, a number are on the queue waiting to be commissioned. We are pleased with the progress we have made in this aspect of our intervention activity.”

     

     

  • Only N1.72bn research fund accessed – TETfund

    Only N1.72bn research fund accessed – TETfund

    About N1.72 billion has so far been accessed by lecturers out of N3 billion earmarked for National Research Fund, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, said on Thursday.

    Baffa said lecturers have failed to fully access the funds because of poor quality research proposals.

    He stated these at the inauguration of NRF Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRF&MC) and the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Book Development in Abuja.

    Baffa said the NRF was introduced to resuscitate research activities in public tertiary institutions to support scholars to meet up with the requirements in teaching, research and community service.

    The TETFund boss said additional N1billion was allocated in 2016 to beef up intervention.

    He said: “Since its establishment in 2009 with the seed fund of N3 billion, about N1.72 billion has so far been disbursed to finance researches in different thematic areas and an additional N1billion was allocated in 2016 to beef up the intervention.

    “One of the key concerns of the TETFund in respect of the implementation of this intervention is the quality of research proposals that are being submitted by applicants.”

    Baffa also said another N2 billion seed grant was dedicated for lecturers in various public tertiary institutions to access funds for development of manuscript into books.

    He added that research is important to achieve a development- driven socio-economic process in the country.

    “The vision of this intervention is to deliberately promote the evolution of a knowledge-based, globally competitive research and development driven socio-economic development process in Nigeria.

    “This, we believe, can only be achieved through coordinated, properly focused and cutting edge researches in all critical areas and anchored by scholars in the higher institutions.

    “Conducting quality research in our public tertiary institutions will not only engender national growth but will also raise the standard and the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s education system,” he added.

     

  • FG earmarks N3b for varsity research

    FG earmarks N3b for varsity research

    The Federal government has earmarked N3 billion for high impact researches in federal and state public tertiary institutions, Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Funds (TETFUND), Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, has said.

    Baffa, stated that the fund has allocated N15 million to lecturers in the universities and N10 million to polytechnics and colleges of education lecturers to fund their researches.

    The TETFUND boss who said this during a meeting with reporters in Abuja, added that the funds are research grants awarded to qualified scholars who participate in rigorous process of screening, after sending their proposals.

    Baffa said TETFUND was determined to support cutting edge research that would help the future of Nigeria.

    He said: “Research is one of the core mandates of the fund; the fund is supposed to bridge the infrastructural gap in our public tertiary institutions. About N3 billion has been earmarked to support the high impact research at the National Research Fund level.

    “We have been supporting research institutions, where we can allocate up to N15 million for academics in the Universities and up to N10 million to academics in Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

    “Such research would increase our production and improve our efficiency and easing the lives of our citizens. The more we research, the more we industrialize ‎our country. And the more we create more jobs.

    He stated that there was no plan to extend TETFUND’s intervention grants to private tertiary institutions.