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Tag: Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)

  • TETFund allocates ₦11.3bto FUT Babura in five years

    TETFund allocates ₦11.3bto FUT Babura in five years

    Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has allocated a total of ₦11.3 billion to the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Babura, Jigawa State, in five years for infrastructure-related interventions.

    This was made known by the Chairman, TETFund Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, when he commissioned eight TETFund-sponsored projects executed by FUT, Babura.

    “Upon its establishment in 2021, the federal government, through TETFund approved a ₦4 billion take-off grant for the University.

    “Later, an additional ₦3 billion was provided in 2022 under the Special High Impact Intervention, to consolidate its foundational infrastructure and underscore the strategic importance of the institution.

    “From 2021 to date, TETFund has allocated a total of ₦11.3 billion to the university for infrastructure-related interventions,” Masari said.

    He disclosed that the projects he commissioned were completed between 2022 and 2024 and delivered at a cumulative cost of ₦5.8 billion, stating he was pleased that they were executed in full compliance with TETFund guidelines and standards.

    Some of the projects commissioned at FUT Babura included: Deanery and Lecture Halls for School of Applied Science, Library Building; Centre for Information Technology (CIT); Deanery and Lecture Theatre for School of Engineering and Technology and Departmental Building for the School of Engineering and Technology.

    Read Also: Highly placed Nigerians sponsoring insecurity to sabotage Tinubu’s government, CSO alleges

    Federal University of Technology, Babura, is one of the four new specialised institutions established in 2021 by the federal government in its quest to expand access to quality university education, address the growing skills gap in the country, improve healthcare delivery, accelerate technological advancement, and promote equity in the distribution of higher education institutions across the nation.

    “These include allocations under the Annual, Special, Zonal, and Special High Impact intervention lines. Of this total, the university has accessed approximately 75.4 percent, which is an encouraging development.”

    “It is gratifying to see the university’s landscape transformed by the presence of these iconic structures, symbolising progress, purpose, and promise,” Masari said.

    Vice Chancellor of university, Prof. Sabo Ibrahim Kudu, acknowledged the support of President Bola Tinubu and the ministers of the Federal Ministry of Education, under whose leadership the fund has recorded achievements including the projects that are being commissioned.

    While commending TETFund board members, the vice chancellor disclosed that the Federal University of Technology, Babura, commenced academic activities in May, 2022 with the mounting of 13 academic programmes in the 2022/2023 academic session under eight departments.

    The programmes include B.Tech Electrical Engineering, B.Tech Mechanical Engineering, B.Tech Civil Engineering, BSc Computer Science, BSc Cybersecurity and BSc Software Engineering. Others are BSc Biology, BSc Biotechnology, BSc Physics, BSc Geophysics, BSc Chemistry, BSc Industrial Chemistry and BSc Mathematics, he said.

    “The university has 3 sets of students (i.e. Level 100, 200 and 300) with a student population of 1530; and these are from 32 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory,” Prof. Kudu said.

  • UNILORIN dons make TETFund committee

    Two University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) lecturers, Emeritus Prof. Olu Obafemi of the Faculty of Arts and Prof. Biodun Alabi, have joined the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Advisory Group Committee on appointment.

    The duo were among the other TETFund Advisory Committee members inaugurated in Abuja by TETFund Executive Secretary Prof Suleiman Bogoro, on August 8.

    At the inauguration, Bogoro said Obafemi’s and Alabi’s selection was based on their intellectual capacity and outstanding academic leadership.

    As advisory members, they are expected to advise, screen proposals on manuscripts as well as harvest Doctorate Theses and Masters’ dissertation.

  • TETFund adds 14 new institutions to its intervention list

     The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has added fourteen new tertiary institutions as beneficiaries of its interventions.
     
    The agency said the figure has increased the number of public institutions benefiting from the agency’s intervention to 216.

    Executive Secretary of TETFund, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, broke the news in a statement on Wednesay in Abuja by the Director, Public Affairs of the agency, Benn Ebikwo.
     
    Dr. Baffa said the approval was granted by the Board of Trustees of the agency after screening the numerous request it received from qualified institutions to be enlisted as beneficiaries of its intervention.
     
    The institutions include; First Technical University, Ibadan; College of Education, Lanlate; Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, Oyo State; University of Medical Sciences, Ondo; Gombe State College of Education, Billiri; Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo State and Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa.

    Others are Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade; Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna State; College of Education, Kangere; Bilyamunu Usman Polytechnic, Hadejia; Federal Polytechnic, Ukana; Federal Polytechnic, Ile Oluji and Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo.

    Read Also: Group drags TETfund Boss, Baffa to EFCC


    The executive secretary advised the new institutions to adhere to the operational guidelines of TETFund as well as ensure transparency in their implementations of the various intervention lines.
     
    The statement added that letters of enlistment were presented to the heads of the 14 new institutions by Dr. Baffa.
     
    He said the institutions will begin to benefit from TETFund’s interventions with effect from 2019. 

    Vice-Chancellor, First Technical University, Ibadan, Prof. Ayobami Salami, who spoke on behalf of the institutions, hailed the Board of Trustees and management of TETFund for finding them worthy of enlistment and promised to be worthy partners in their relationships with the agency.
    “Enlistment as a beneficiary of TETFund is the approval given for any public tertiary university, polytechnic and college of education to receive annual funding from TETFund for the development of critical infrastructure for teaching and learning, provision of instructional materials, training of academic staff among other interventions of the Fund,” the statement added.

  • University of Maiduguri produces 78 First Class graduates

    The University of Maiduguri on Monday said it produced 78 First Class graduates for the 2015/ 2016 and 2016/2017 academic sessions.

    The Vice Chancellor of the University, Dr Ibrahim Njodi, made the disclosure at a pre-convocation press conference in Maiduguri.

    Njodi said that a total of 17, 895 graduates would be conferred with various degrees and certificates during its 23rd combined convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, April 28.

    He explained that 3, 527 students were graduands of the Post Graduate School programmes comprising of 56 Ph.D graduates; 570 Masters Degree graduates and 2, 901 Post Graduate Diploma graduands .

    Njodi added that the statistics of the undergraduates showed that 8, 643 graduands would be awarded degrees, 7, 278 of the number were from the regular programmes, 573 from affiliated colleges and 714 were Distance Learning programmes.

    He disclosed that 5, 725 graduates would received diploma certificates, adding that 106 and 102 graduates would receive awards for the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 academic sessions, respectively.

    The Vice Chancellor disclosed that three lecturers would also be conferred with the title of “Emeritus Professor”, for their outstanding performance and contributions to the development of the university.

    “We remain committed and resilient to excel in our academic pursuit inspite of the challenges posed by the insurgency.

    “The University continued with its services and achieved significant feat in the past nine years,” he said.

    Njodi disclosed that the university with support of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND ), United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ), corporate organisations and philanthropists executed viable projects in the school.

    He explained that the projects were designed to provide an enabling teaching and learning environment, as well as research, to enhance academic excellence.

    He listed the projects to include Senate Complex Building, Mega House, Veterinary Centre and Instructional Technology Centre.

    Njodi added that the projects were completed and billed for inauguration as part of activities lined up for the convocation ceremony.

    According to him, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ); Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and a philanthropist,  Alhaji Muhammadu Indimi, pledged to execute various projects in the University.

    Njodi lauded the Borno State Government, stakeholders, security agencies and members of the public for their support to the University.

    NAN

  • Akeredolu appeals for adequate funding for universities

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Friday appealed to stakekeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to help bridge the funding gap of government-owned universities, for sustainable economic development.

    Akeredolu, who was represented by Dr Omowunmi Ilawole, his Special Adviser on Education, made the appeal at the 1st Foundation Day Lecture of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology ( OSUSTECH ) in Okitipupa.

    The lecture was titled: “University Funding and Nation Building: Bridging the Gap between the Gown and the Town.’’

    He explained that the dwindling resources being experienced in Nigeria of recent had made it impossible for government to solely fund university education in the country.

    “If the stakeholders in Education do not support the government in funding university education, it will be impossible to bridge the gap between the gown and the town,” Akeredolu said.

    Meanwhile, the guest lecturer, Dr James Kayode-Naiyeju, blamed the slow pace of development in Nigeria on poor funding of Universities.

    The don said that most developed countries had much stake in funding universities, which he noted, was the panacea to nation-building.

    According to him, Nigeria, as a signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO ), is still unable to meet the organisation’s recommended 26 per cent allocation of the total budget to Education.

    Dr Kayode-Naiyeju, a former Accountant-General of the Federation, said that a country was classified as developed when it is able to provide qualitative life for its citizenry.

    He stated that institutions of higher learning which were the midwives of human-capital development, had tremendous roles to play in nation-building by enriching science, engineering, technology, humanities and the arts, and providing value-based education to students.

    “Universities dedicated to learning, teaching and research are essential building blocks of any civilisation, and are increasingly becoming significant economic institutions.

    “Universities, therefore, need to meet their full economic costs of teaching and conducting research, which include costs of academic and non-academic staff, training of postgraduate research students, equipment, fieldwork and laboratory services.

    “Funding has remained a critical factor in the provision of functional education that can lead to national transformation.

    “Inadequate funding puts university management under stress and strain, leading to rampant crisis in the system, resulting in strikes by academic and non-academic unions,” he said.

    The don, however, said that government should show commitment to budgetary allocation to education, through its agencies like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND ) and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation ( NDIC ), among others.

    He also said payment of tuition fees, corporate social responsibility, commercial activities on campuses, commercialisation of accommodation, endowment funds, consultancy services and part-time programmes, were other ways of funding education.

    Earlier, Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile, the Vice-Chancellor, OSUSTECH, said that university funding had been a centre-point of discourse and had yet to be laid to rest.

    He said that the government and stakeholders in the educational sector should brainstorm and come out with a logical conclusion on university funding for the country to stand tall in the comity of nations.

    NAN

  • ABU Zaria refinery project suffers lack of funding

    The Ahmadu Bello University ( ABU ), Zaria is making efforts to establish conventional and standard locally-built refineries in Niger Delta to boost the nation’s refinery capacity, but the project is stalled because of lack of funding.

    Prof. Ibrahim Mohammed-Dabo, the Team Leader, ABU Refinery Project, made the disclosure in an interview with our reporter in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    Mohamed-Dabo, a Professor of Chemical Engineering said: “Our ultimate goal is to have a conventional and standard locally built refinery that can be refining Nigerian crude.

    “We are hoping if enough funding is made available to us to perfect what we have on ground; we shall be willing to build other ones that can be stationed in the Niger Delta.

    “This is where most of the Nigerian crude oil is produced. When new ones are built, we are going to train operators that will manage them,” he said.

    He recalled that the ABU mini refinery project started in 2011 when he wrote a research proposal to the university management for onward delivery to Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND ) for funding.

    “In monetary terms, the initial stage of the project was proposed to cost N18 million but to our surprise, only N1.8 million was approved for the project.

    “We initially wanted to abandon the project because the amount approved was so small, but being very passionate about it, we started the design and fabricated some components with that meagre amount.

    “Actually, it reached a stage that we had to use our personal money for the project. When we started installation at the site, we invited the university management to the site and they were very happy.

    “On appreciating what was done, the then Vice-Chancellor pledged that the university was going to support the project which they did by providing land, security, light and water,” Mohammed-Dabo said.

    He added that dedicated staff were employed purposely for the project, stressing that since then, the university had been very supportive.

    “As you know, refinery is made up of many units; the first unit to be put in place in any refinery are the desalting and crude distillation units.

    “These were the ones we designed, constructed, installed and operated with the support of the University.

    “The Raw Materials Research and Development Council ( RMRDC ), Abuja was approached to fund two units, which were the Naphtha Hydro-treating Unit ( NUH ) and the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit ( FCCU ).

    “The RMRDC is therefore sponsoring these units. We have completed both the design and fabrication components, we are now at the installation stage’” he said.

    According to him, the team is equally working on other units such as the Kerosene hydro-treating unit, Catalytic reforming unit, sour water stripping unit and flared gas recovery unit.

    He said what the team has achieved was solely sponsored by the ABU management toward ensuring the success of the project.

    On present state of the refinery at ABU, Mohammed-Dabo said three units have so far been completed.

    “As I have mentioned earlier, presently the refinery has completed three units which are the desalting unit, atmospheric and vacuum distillation units.

    “We are equally working on four of five other units which we hope before the fourth quarter of this year, we will commission them, God willing.

    “Building any technology is capital intensive; talk less of oil refining technology. It involves many trials before perfection.

    “There is the need to improve upon what has already been built and this involves money. We have been making efforts in this regard but up till now no funding secured yet,” he said.

    Mohammed-Dabo said they have approached PTDF, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, TETFUND and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board ( NCDMB ) without much success.

    He, however, said the good news was when the NNPC GMD visited the refinery. The GMD, Maikanti Baru promised to support with crude supply.

    “Again, last month we participated at the just concluded Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja where we showcased our project.

    “The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachukwu visited our exhibition booth and he was highly impressed with our efforts.

    “In view of what he saw, he promised to support the project. We have submitted our proposal hoping to hear good news from him,” he said.

    The professor said what was interesting during that summit was that many investors were willing to partner with his team, but said the team have to improve their technology before agreeing to engage private investors.

    The team leader appealed to the federal government to support the refinery project.

    “It is truly shameful that we are an oil producing nation but rely on importation of refined products.

    “Government has a role to play to develop this technology. Anywhere in the world, developing technologies is the responsibility of government.

    “It is only when it has reached a certain stage that private investors will come and partake. Nigeria is blessed with both human and material resources,” he noted.

    He stressed the need for concerted efforts to judiciously utilise the country’s abundant resources, saying that any country that wanted to develop technologically must try and develop technologies of its manufacturing sector.

    Mohammed-Dabo observed that Nigeria would never be self-sufficient or secured as long as it relies on foreign countries for technology.

    NAN

  • Buhari advises TETFund on interventions to institutions

    Buhari advises TETFund on interventions to institutions

    President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFund ) to continue to offer meaningful and purposeful interventions to all public owned tertiary institutions in the country.

    The president said this would help his administration to create a knowledge based economy in the country.

    Buhari, according to a statement from TETFund, spoke at the 2nd and 3rd Combined Convocation of Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State. The institution graduated a total of 837 students while 42 bagged first class degree.

    The president, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Abubakar Rasheed, described the interventions of the agency as the catalyst for achieving the desired knowledge-based economy for Nigeria.

    He said: “I am also happy with the special role of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in the physical and academic development of this young university. It is clear, that since the establishment of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma. TETFund has remained the single, largest development agent in the institution.

    “I urge the TETFund to continue to offer meaningful and purposeful interventions in Nigeria’s higher education institutions to help in realizing our government’s desire to create a knowledge based economy in Nigeria.”

    He expressed delight over the completion and commissioning of multi-billion naira physical infrastructure projects sponsored by TETFund at the University.

    He explained that the physical projects ranging from Senate Building, Buildings for Faculties of Agriculture and Science, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Complex, Library building, Faculty of Agriculture Laboratories, Students’ Hall of Residence (Hostels) for Male and Female which were commissioned by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa as part of the convocation ceremony was clear indication of the resolve of his administration to tackle the problem of access to tertiary education in the country.

    Buhari promised that he would continue to fight the challenge of unemployment, particularly graduate unemployment through the creation of a thriving and dynamic labour market that would enable young people achieve their full potentials as self-employed entrepreneurs and employers of labour rather than merely job seekers.

    “I want to challenge all Nigerian Universities to come out of their shell to build constructive linkages and collaborations with the industrial sector of the society. This remains the vibrant way we can enhance the socio-economic and technological transformation of our society.

    “Government on its part will continue to give maximum support to University Education despite dwindling resources available to it. However, all Universities should seriously consider more efficient ways of resource mobilization and also find ways of attracting funding for research from across the world,” he said.

    Dr. Baffa, in his remarks, said the agency would continue to pursue interventions that would meet the desires of the Federal Government under the direction of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.

    He explained that provision of infrastructure for conducive teaching and learning activities were aimed at ensuring that the dream of increased access to quality higher education for all Nigerians by the minister became a reality.

    The university since inception have benefitted about N5billion as Special Intervention for Take-Off Grant, Proto-type Hostels, Academic Buildings etc.

    NAN

  • Laspotech set to inaugurate radio station

    Laspotech set to inaugurate radio station

    The Lagos State Polytechnic ( LASPOTECH ), Ikorodu on Tuesday said it had completed its radio station and would commission it soon.

    Mr Sameul Sogunro, Rector of the Institution, said this at the matriculation of its new students for the 2017/2018 academic session.

    Sogunro said all the equipment for transmission of the Laspotech Frequency Modular (FM) radio station had been procured.

    He said the station was domiciled at the Department of Mass Communication in the School of Communication and Liberal Studies at the Ikorodu Campus.

    “I appreciate the assistance of the State Government, through the Office of the Special Adviser on Communities and Communication, for providing the studio equipment,’’ the rector said.

    According to him, the Polytechnic has also begun the construction of drainage and car park at the School of Technology complex, funded by the state government.

    He said the School of Agriculture Administrative block and Department of Agricultural Technology projects would also begin in 2018.

    “It will be funded through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND ).’’

    The rector promised that his administration would continually strive to engage, train and retrain its personnel, while putting in place modern facilities for learning.

    “In spite of dwindling resources, the Polytechnic has managed to stay afloat to deliver good services to our students.

    “We must continue to be prudent and make judicious use of meagre resources by blocking every possible leakage.

    “Your role in the prompt payment of fees and other charges would assist the Polytechnic greatly in this regard,’’ Sogunro told the students.

    He said the institution’s Academic Board had made agricultural studies mandatory for all its students.

    This step, he said, is to make them job providers and not job seekers after graduation.

    He advised the fresh students to dissociate themselves from all forms of vices, including examination malpractice, cultism, gambling, harassment, lecture absenteeism and extortion among others.

    According to him, the Polytechnic administration has zero tolerance toward any form of unwholesome attitude.

    “The penalty for involvement in any anti-social vice is expulsion.

    “The Academic Board will not hesitate to take stern disciplinary action against any erring student for involvement in examination malpractice.

    “It is my hope that you will abide by the provisions of the Matriculation oath to which you have sworn today, so that you can excellently fulfil your studentship,’’ he said.

    The rector assured the students of maximum security on all the institution’s campuses.

    He urged them to report suspicious activities to appropriate authorities.

    The Polytechnic matriculated 2,294 National Diploma students and 2,164 Higher National Diploma students.

    NAN

  • TETFund boss inaugurates 14 projects worth N1.4bn at Dutse varsity

    TETFund boss inaugurates 14 projects worth N1.4bn at Dutse varsity

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFund ) on Monday inaugurated 14 projects worth over N1.4 billion at the Federal University Dutse ( FUD ), Jigawa.

    The projects inaugurated are: Faculty of Agriculture phase I, II and III, Faculty of General Studies, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Centre for E-Learning, Academic Staff Office Block for Faculty of Arts, Biotechnology Laboratory.

    Others are: Computer Science Department, Classrooms and Offices Block, Faculty of of Management Science Phase I, University Clinic and Postgraduate Hostel Phase I.

    TETFUND Executive Secretary, Dr Abdullahi Baffa, who inaugurated the projects, commended the university for executing the projects prudently.

    “I want to congratulate the Vice-Chancellor for achieving this feat.

    “Since the establishment of the TETFUND, this is the first time we are inaugurating the highest number of projects in a single day.

    “We commend you for supervising these projects to completion, while many universities are battling corruption charges against contractors the FUD had the mindset to organise themselves to achieve such feat.

    “I salute your mindset to deliver these projects, in fact, you delivered them qualitatively.

    “And for you to prudently execute these 14 gigantic projects, I am happy to inform you that over N3 billion was allocated to this university in 2017,” Baffa said.

    He also urged the university to start the process of accessing the N100 million fund approved to it as zonal intervention for its services and students’ shuttle buses.

    Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Fatima Batul-Mukhtar said that N1.4 billion was expended by the University on the construction of all the projects inaugurated from the 2013 and 2014 special and normal interventions funds.

    She added that the college of medicine and health sciences complex and the university sports complex also sponsored by TETFund would be inaugurated in February to serve as part of its third pre-convocation programmes.

    “I will like to extend our profound gratitude to TETFUND and the Federal Government for these lofty interventions.

    “I also want to appreciate the efforts of the the various contractors that successfully executed these projects,” she added.

    NAN

  • Fire guts N183m TETFund project

    Fire guts N183m TETFund project

    Zamfara Government has described the fire that gutted the N183 million Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFund ) intervention project at the State College of Education, Maru, as unfortunate.

    The acting State Governor, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala who visited the College on Tuesday to assess the damage, noted that the inferno caused a great loss to the institution and government.

    Wakkala said government had directed the state’s Ministry of Education to set up a committee to ascertain the level of damage and cause of the fire and present its findings.

    “Government will support the College to continue with its activities. I also urge communities in the state to always be conscious of fire, especially in the current harmattan season to avoid future incident.

    Earlier, Provost of the College, Alhaji Nasiru Sarkin-Fawa, told the deputy governor that seven departments, multimedia languages laboratory, School of Languages Dean’s office and Languages Office were lost to the disaster.

    Read also: TETfund : Open letter to President Buhari

    Sarkin-Fawa said that the college had lost its 16 years valuable records to the disaster, and needed urgent support from the state government and TETFund so that their academic activities would not stop.

    “About 2,083 students, 42 academic and 18 non-academic staff will no longer have classes and offices as a result of the disaster,’’ he said.

    He appealed to the government to assist the college with additional structures like staff accommodation.

    “We have about 400 staff, including academic and non-academic.

    ” Only 20 per cent out of the total number of staff are residing in the College while the remaining staff are living outside due to lack of accommodation.

    “We have about 8,000 students in this College, but we are facing serious challenge of lack of infrastructure, including water,’’ he added.

    The fire occurred on Dec. 23 and razed the 2013 intervention complex project of the College.

    It comprises four departments, one dean’s office and other offices.

    NAN