12 Institutions Get N4Bn Each To Boost Technology Education, Innovation
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Federal Government has approved the sum of Four Billion Naira (N4Bn) to build new engineering and technology workshops or rehabilitate existing ones in twelve selected universities across the nation.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa announced this while inaugurating the Ministerial Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation Committee on the TETFund Special High Impact Intervention Project for Engineering and Technology Faculties of Federal Universities of Technology and conventional universities, in Abuja on Monday.
Dr. Alausa stated that the event marked a critical milestone in the deliberate and strategic effort of the Federal Government of Nigeria to reposition Engineering and Technology education as a driver of industrialisation, innovation, and sustainable national development.
“It reflects our firm belief that no nation can rise above the quality of its Technical and Engineering capacity.
“This intervention is part of the broader reform agenda of the Federal Ministry of Education, implemented in close collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), to ensure that our universities are not only centres of theoretical learning, but also hubs of hands-on training, applied research, innovation, and problem-solving.
“Today, each of these universities will get 4 billion naira each to rehabilitate their existing engineering and technology workshop or to build new engineering and technology workshop where they don’t have one”, he said.
The Minister added that this was also to add new infrastructures, new equipment, state-of-the-art equipment to their engineering workshop.
He however, explained that “this was different from the other funding that we’ve marked as part of the 2026 spending guideline of TETFund where about 20 billion additional naira will be invested in selected universities to help them upgrade their engineering workshop”.
He listed the benefiting institutions to include the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Federal University of Technology, Babura, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi and Federal University of Technology, Akure.
Others were, the Nigerian Army University, Biu, African Aviation and Aerospace University Abuja, Shehu Shagari University of Education, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka and University of Ilesa.
“For far too long, concerns have been raised about the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical competence among Engineering and Technology graduates. This gap has limited graduate employability, weakened industry confidence, and constrained Nigeria’s ability to compete in a fast-evolving global technology landscape.
“This TETFund Special High Impact Intervention Project has therefore been deliberately designed to address these gaps through modern workshops, advanced laboratories, cutting-edge equipment, and industry-relevant training environments, capable of producing graduates who can design, fabricate, test, innovate, and industrialise solutions”, he said.
On his part, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono stated that beyond providing funds to the institutions, the committee would assist in identifying their specific needs and provide the necessary recommendations:
“I have no doubt that this committee made up of eminent Nigerians, professionals and technocrats in their own rights will help us in identifying the needs, specify what needs to be done, monitoring the process of implementing these programs and ensuring that the funds allocated for this purpose are prudently and judiciously utilised”, he said.
He expressed confidence that the committee, made up of seasoned professionals and technocrats, would help identify needs, specify priorities, monitor implementation and ensure prudent utilisation of allocated funds.
Responding, Chairman of the Committee and President Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Ali Rabiu, said they were grateful for the privilege to serve and promised to be committed to the assignment:
“We gladly accept this responsibility and are fully committed to contributing meaningfully to the success of this initiative. At the Nigerian Society of Engineers, we have consistently advocated for the advancement of engineering education, making it more practical, industry-driven, and innovation-oriented.
“This federal government initiative, meant to strengthen engineering education and enhance its relevance through hands-on impactful interventions, is therefore highly commendable. I am confident that working collaboratively, we will achieve significant progress in transforming engineering faculties across federal universities in Nigeria.
“Let me assure the Honorable Minister that having entrusted this responsibility on us that many of us did not know before now, we are going to be very, very committed and dedicated to this assignment”, he said.
