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Tag: the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)

  • TETfund appropriates N7.4b for infrastructural devt in A’Ibom College

    TETfund appropriates N7.4b for infrastructural devt in A’Ibom College

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) has appropriated N7.4bn for infrastructural development at the Akwa Ibom State College of Education.

    Chairman TETfund board of Trustees, Aminu Masari revealed this yesterday during the inauguration of the N1. 3bn administrative block and ICT centre at the College, Afaha Nsit, Nsit Ibom local government area of the state.

    Masari, a former governor of Katsina state, said that out of the figure a total of N6. 9bn has been accessed leaving a balance of N462.9m most of which had been committed already.

    “The total cost of the projects to be commissioned today is N1,391,116,511.32. You may also wish to know that from the start of TETFund interventions to this College, the Fund has allocated a total of N7,388,131,247.96, for infrastructure-related projects only.

    ”Out of this, a total of N6,925,204,879.46 have been accessed, leaving a balance of N462,926,368.50, most of which are already committed,” Masari said.

    He pledged TETfund’s sustained commitment to infrastructure interventions in Tertiary institutions across the country.

    The board Chairman noted that the commissioning of the projects align with TETfund’s vision of making Nigerian institutions globally competitive and relevant.

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    According to him ”For us at TETFund, the inauguration of projects is a pointer to progress and success in aligning with TETFund’s vision of making our institutions globally relevant and competitive in this age of pronounced digital advancement and the increasing relevance and impact of Artificial Intelligence .

    ”We are resolved as an agency of the Federal Government to keep pace with current advancements and are making significant efforts at ensuring that our beneficiary institutions are up to date, through support to acquire relevant tools of work for knowledge creation, learning, research and supporting teacher training, entrepreneurship and skills development.”

    Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno who was represented by his commissioner of Education, Prof. Ubong Umoh, lauded TETfund’s intervention, noting that the intervention at the Akwa Ibom State University and the commissioning of the project at the College of Education are worth commendable

    These interventions according to the governor, show the extent to which the Renewed Hope of President Bola Tinubu and ARISE agenda of the state government are shaping education to make life better for Nigerians

    Eno said “‘From what we see in Akwa Ibom State University, a significant signature of TETfund and what we are seeing here in the College of Education Afaha Nsit, in accessing over N7bn, this is commendable . It shows the extent to which the Renewed Hope of Mr President in Education aligns with the emphasis on Education of the ARISE agenda, to make Nigeria hopeful and great again.”

  • TETFUND rates YABATECH high on projects

    TETFUND rates YABATECH high on projects

    •Inaugurates Workplace Learning Hub

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has scored Yaba College of Technology(YABATECH)  high in quality project execution, transparency and value-driven use of funds allocated to it.

    This was just as the agency inaugurated a Workplace Learning Hub of the institution at Ikeja Computer Village,Lagos.

    A member of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Southwest geopolitical zone, Hon. Sunday Adepoju applauded the college for judicious use of funds and for not leaving abandoned projects on campus.

    Adepoju addressed  the management of the college after touring the 2020 to 2023 TETFund projects in a familiarization visit to the institution.

    He said: “Having gone round the college to inspect the TETFund projects, I am highly impressed by what I saw. My fear of noting abandoned projects was allayed as there was none which shows that the college has not given the contractors handling the projects any hitch.”

    Adepoju hailed the college for effectively utilizing TETFund allocations to drive infrastructural and academic development.

    The college, he said, integrated both theoretical and practical knowledge at teaching and learning thereby blocking any loopholes of imparting knowledge in the training of Nigerian youths.

    The BoT member implored tertiary institutions benefiting from the Trust Fund to ensure that the funds are well utilized and project built with funds are properly maintained. He stressed that it is the responsibility of the management, staff and students to make judicious use of Tetfund properties so that the structures will be beneficial to upcoming generation.

    He also called for commercialization of research outputs, stressing  that taxpayer  funded research should lead to visible development.

    He said it  would be of no essence to carry out research and put them on shelves rather than putting them on the public space for investors to turn quality research into products.

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    The rector, Dr  Ibraheem Abdul, thanked  TETFund, and the Minister of Education for their unwavering support and investment in the institution, noting that the  workplace learning hub is a testament to the impact of collaborative efforts between educational institutions and government agencies in driving national development.

    He  said: ‘’The college is  proud to be at the forefront of skills development, and this hub will play a pivotal role in equipping our students with the knowledge and expertise required to excel in the ICT sector. Our partnership with the Computer Village community will create a platform for knowledge sharing, skills development, and innovation.”

    “This  Workplace Learning Hub will provide training programs tailored to meet the needs of the industry, ensuring our students are job-ready and equipped to tackle real-world challenges. We believe this initiative will not only enhance the employability of our graduates but also contribute to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy.”

  • 2024: TETFUND’s year of popular positive attestation

    2024: TETFUND’s year of popular positive attestation

    By Tunde Oladunjoye

    As a former member of the Governing Council of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State (2016-2018), I can testify that the major projects we were able to accomplish were the projects funded by the federal government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

    TETFUND also sponsored many of the university’s staff, academic and non-academic, for continuous training abroad. For a state-owned university, which also witnessed the era of zero subventions from its owners, the state government, one could have imagined what would have been the fate of TASUED without TETFUND.

    It was the same situation when this writer served as a member of the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, Akwa-Ibom State. All the major capital projects at the Ukanna main campus of the polytechnic were funded by TETFUND.

    This is the reality in all the tertiary institutions in Nigeria today. TETFUND has remained the bedrock of infrastructural development for the colleges of education, polytechnics and universities owned by both the federal and state governments.

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was originally established as Education Tax Fund (ETF) by the Act No. 7 of 1993 as amended by Act No. 40 of 1998 (now repealed and replaced with Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Establishment, Etc.) Act No. 16 of 2011. It is an intervention agency set up to provide supplementary support to all levels of public tertiary institutions with the main objective of using funding alongside project management for the rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of tertiary education in Nigeria.

    However, the reality on ground over the years and even now, is that rather than being a supplementary source of funding for the three tiers of tertiary education, TETFUND has turned out to be about the main source of funding for projects, scholarships research and development, publishing and publications.

    The strategic support that the agency has provided for education in Nigeria is so effective and efficient that even the promoters of private universities have started to lobby for accommodation by TETFUND, though unjustifiably. 

    The main source of income available to the fund is the two percent education tax paid from the assessable profit of companies registered in Nigeria. However, the tax was reviewed upwards to 2.5 percent by the Finance Act 2021 and further increased to three percent by the Finance Act 2023 effective September 2023.

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    The funds are disbursed for the general improvement of education in federal and state tertiary education institutions specifically for the provision or maintenance of essential physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, infrastructural material and equipment research and publications, academic staff training and development, and any other need which, in the opinion of the 13-member Board of Trustees, is critical and essential for the improvement and maintenance of standards in the higher educational institutions.

    In 2024, the agency has impacted so significantly that testimonies abound. TETFUND has become the geese that lay the golden, so much that Nigerian students and their lecturers do not want any harm to come near it, either in the guise of taxation, restructuring, harmonization and what have you.

    At different fora and interviews in the outgoing year, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the federal government against tampering with the existence of TETFUND, insisting that such a move will badly injure the university system.

    In an interview with The Guardian, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) cautioned the federal government against phasing out TETFund in favour of the newly introduced Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), warning that such a move could severely damage Nigeria’s public university system.

    “TETFund has been instrumental in transforming tertiary education across Nigeria for over 30 years. Scrapping it would devastate public universities and deny access to education for children from low-income families,” said ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in the interview.

    He highlighted the significant role TETFund plays in providing infrastructure and academic development in public institutions, noting that 90% of physical structures in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education are products of TETFund.”

    ASUU urged the government to uphold the legacy of TETFund, which has inspired similar initiatives like Ghana’s Education Trust Fund (GETFund).

    “Countries in Africa are learning from TETFund. Scrapping it now would be a step backward for Nigeria,” Osodeke stressed, appealing to the government to prioritize education funding in line with global standards.

    Also, the umbrella body for university students in Nigeria, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has joined ASUU to mobilize against any attempt to scrap or reduce revenue accruable to TETFUND. Speaking at its 86th National Senate Sitting and Pre-Convention event held at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Senate President of NANS, Babatunde Afeez Akinteye urged the federal government to be transparent about its future plans for TETFUND in the Tax Reform Bills.

    “Every Nigerian recognizes the importance of TETFUND in our educational institutions. Its projects are evident across campuses. Without TETFUND, we cannot imagine what would have become of our campuses. The agency’s contributions go beyond infrastructural development to include capacity building, research, and innovative activities. For these reasons, TETFUND must not be tampered with but instead properly funded and managed by competent individuals of integrity to ensure even greater performance,” he said.

    Not long after, Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesman, dispelled the rumour, saying there was no such plan to scrap TETFUND and a few other agencies in the proposed tax bill.

    “No part of the tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly (NASS) recommends the scrapping of Tertiary Education Fund (TETFund), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)”, the Presidency through Onanuga said in a statement.

    “Contrary to the lies being peddled, the bills do not suggest that NASENI, TETFUND, and NITDA will cease to exist in 2029 after the passage of the bills. Government agencies, such as NASENI, TETFUND, and NITDA, are funded through budgetary provisions with company income tax and other taxes paid by the same businesses that are being overburdened with the special taxes.”

    As the clarification from the federal government seemed to have put the mind of the concerned public at rest, desperate people embarked on campaign of calumny against TETFUND and its Executive Secretary, Architect Sonny Echono. The published attacks and lies against TETFUND and its helmsman, mostly on back street social media were born out of envy and mindless hustling of certain people who wanted to wrestle the steering of TETFUND for their ulterior, self-serving and unpatriotic motives.

    It is, however, highly commendable that TETFUND and its management continue to remain focused, undistracted in the delivery of their mandate, with the active support of its board chaired by the former governor of Kastina State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari.

    As part of efforts towards revamping the economy through promotion and investments in ground breaking research and innovations, TETFUND has since held its maiden edition of the National Research Fair/Exhibition in Abuja with innovators, researchers and inventors on the ground to showcase various innovative projects. The five-day event, held from November 17 – 21, not doubt, lived up to its billings.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event held at the Eagle Square, Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, stated that only impactful research and innovation could equip Nigeria with needed elements to transform its fortune, adding that the Federal Government is committed to leveraging research and for economic growth. The TETFUND fair, he announced, would be held annually to unleash the innate capacities of millions of young Nigerians by giving them opportunities to contribute to economic development through innovation.

    To TETFund’s executive secretary, the exhibition was aimed at “showcasing research outcomes from the fund’s beneficiary institutions, as well as other innovations both from the formal and informal sectors with the aim of connecting them to industry for prototype upscale and commercialization.”

    On his part, chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFund, Rt. Hon. Masari, reiterated the commitment of the TETFund board to research development in tertiary institutions, adding that the paucity of funds required for promoting cutting-edge research that are crucial to national development will be significantly addressed under his leadership.

    It is hoped that the federal government will strengthen TETFUND and not whittle down its powers, influence or resources under any guise even as the Sonny Echono-led management continues its giant, positive strides.

    •Oladunjoye, a journalist, sent this via oladunjoyelo@gmail.com

  • Nigeria: What man has joined together? (1)

    Nigeria: What man has joined together? (1)

    Because of the long years, he has put into public service, first as Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and now as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) since 2015, it is so easy to forget that Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s first calling is as an academic and that he is a first-class historian by specialization. The INEC Chairman returned to his forte this week when he was one of the speakers at an international conference organized by Arewa House, the reputable northern think tank, in collaboration with the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, on the 110th anniversary of the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914.

    According to this newspaper’s reportage of the event, “Eminent Professor of history, Mahmood Yakubu, has said Nigeria will not disintegrate, despite its challenges. Yakubu told those who regarded the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914 as an artificial contraption that would eventually snap to bury the thought. He said it is not a miracle that Nigeria has remained indivisible 110 years after its amalgamation but by the determination of the diverse people to manage their heterogeneity. Yakubu dismissed calls for divisions among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic nationalities, saying the country has maintained deep-rooted historical ties that have existed among various communities long before the amalgamation”.

    As Yakubu pointedly put it further, “I have made peace with the fact that I am Nigerian. If some people think Nigeria is artificial, they should know that nations are created in different ways and are consolidated over time. Tell me one nation that was put together by consensus. The fact that we are here for over a century is a plus for Nigeria”. Contrary to Professor Yakubu’s postulation, there are many who would contend that there is indeed something of the miraculous in Nigeria’s continued survival and cohesion, no matter how fragile her unity, for over a century plus years after the amalgamation.

    For example, the country outlived a three-year fratricidal civil war(1967-1970) that cost over two million lives. Most remarkably, a prominent member of the Igbo ethnic group that had sought secession, Dr Alex Ekwueme, had risen to become Vice President of Nigeria a little more than a decade after the end of the war in 1970. But for the military intervention that terminated the Second Republic in 1983, the unfolding dynamics of the democratic process could very well have seen Ekwueme succeeding President Shehu Shagari in 1987 on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). But that is in the realm of conjecture.

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    Again, the country survived the protracted struggle against the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola and the perpetuation of military dictatorship; a struggle that often pushed the polity to the edges of implosion. Out of the tortured womb of that crisis, has rather emerged the current democratic dispensation that has remained unbroken for over two and a half decades. Indeed, so intense has the ever-deepening economic crisis particularly of the last two decades been that it is a sheer wonder that the depth of the existential trauma has not fractured Nigeria’s febrile and complex fault lines beyond repair. The country’s repeated amazing capacity to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat and disintegration and pull back from the brink of seemingly inevitable disaster has led many to believe that there is some sort of divine purpose and design to the evolution, creation, and sustenance of Nigeria as an entity.

    There are indeed those who would read into Professor Yakubu’s logic the often peddled but now largely discarded mantra that ‘Nigeria’s unity is indivisible and non-negotiable’. That was a phraseology that derived from the civil war and its coercive ‘Go On With One Nigeria’ motivation as well as the dictatorial psychology of military domination. I however believe that this is not the spirit in which Yakubu made his submission. According to the news report on his contribution at the conference, “The INEC Chairman noted that the people’s relationships and interactions predated British colonization and the amalgamation of what is now called Nigeria. According to him, these historical ties have only grown stronger and will continue to do so”.

    For him, the continued cohesion of Nigeria after a century and ten years of amalgamation is a desirable aspiration to be continuously and consensually nurtured and worked for, not a non-negotiable idea to be rammed down the throats of the component parts of the country. This is why both democracy and federalism must be continually deepened and strengthened as the indispensable imperatives for a united Nigeria predicated on voluntary association and not ultimately unsustainable compulsion. By all indices, the political, economic, cultural, geo-strategic, and psychological benefits and advantages of a united, democratic, and federal Nigeria far outweigh the uncertain outcomes and unpredictable consequences of a disintegrated polity.

    Some of those who oppose the continuity of Nigeria and contend that there is absolutely nothing ‘non-negotiable’ about any polity point to such collapsed federations as the defunct USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, or Sudan among others. But why should we make failed state-building experiments and not successful ones are our models of reference? Why not learn appropriate lessons from the factors responsible for the collapse of failed states so as not to experience the same avoidable sad fates in our own efforts at nation-building?

    There are those who still refer to Chief Awolowo’s famous description of Nigeria as ‘an artificial entity’ made up of diverse ethnic nationalities and thus not a nation in the true sense of the word to argue the case for the non-sustainability of Nigeria’s unity. The Sardauna, Sir Ahmadu Bello is also said to have observed, obviously at a moment of ill-tempered politics, that ‘the mistake of 1914’ had come to light following certain constitutional disagreements between the North and the South. But such statements cannot be justifiable bases for arguing for the viability or otherwise of the Nigerian state.

    As far back as 1973, for instance, the eminent political scientist, Professor Billy Dudley, had interrogated the accuracy of the claim of Nigeria’s artificiality. In his words, “In some respects, the boundaries of most of the African states are arbitrary; few of these states have a ‘common bond’ holding their people together, at least in the sense required either by Lord Hailey or Chief Awolowo. Nevertheless, it is only partially true and certainly not sufficient to warrant the charge of their being ‘artificial’. Dudley argued that in the precolonial era, there had been the creation of linkages among the various peoples that make up the area to be known as Nigeria through communication nets, trade, and the transmission of ideas before the imposition of imperial rule “thus making the notion of ‘Nigeria’ as a creation of the British so extremely misleading”.

    In his inaugural lecture evocatively titled ‘What Man has Joined Together’, delivered at the University of Ibadan in 2019, renowned political scientist and Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Eghosa Osaghae, avers that Awolowo was right in arguing that Nigeria was not a nation in the sense that the Scots and Welsh, for instance, were in terms of a common culture, language and sense of belonging. However, according to him, “But that could not have been because Nigeria is a mere geographical expression. No state or nation is a natural construct. All states and nations are literally geographical expressions, but expressions given form, content, and character by the process of nation building”. In any case, are the Yoruba, Edo, Tiv, Igbo, Hausa-Fulani, and other components of Nigeria necessarily less artificial than Nigeria? Osaghae explores these and other issues relevant to our ongoing quest for a viable Nigerian entity 64 years after independence from colonial rule.