In line with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund’s (TETFund) commitment to deepen its content-based interventions and facilitate the institutionalisation of Research and Development in the country, it has inaugurated three ad-hoc committees to achieve its aim.
The inauguration ceremony was held on Monday, March 11, 2024, at TETFund Headquarters, Abuja.
The three committees were, the Advisory Committee on Operationalisation of Equipment Upgrade in Workshops and Laboratories for Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education (Technical); the Ad Hoc Committee on Assessment / Review of the TETFund Centres of Excellence; and the Advisory Committee on Operationalisation of Skills Development Special Intervention.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary of the Fund, Arc Sonny Echono disclosed that concerted efforts were being made to identify more innovative ways to enhance research capacities of Beneficiary Institutions and promote skills development for the country’s teeming youths.
Echono noted that the modern economic development process continued to depend on increased productivity arising from purposeful and problem-solving research.
He added, “it has been acknowledged that no society can succeed without adequate research infrastructure facilities to support innovative research for solving societal problems.
“The National Survey funded by the Fund in 2022 to assess the availability, functionality, and compatibility of all existing research facilities across the Beneficiary Institutions, in relation to contemporary requirements and global best practices, reveals that most of the equipment in the Laboratories and Workshops of our Beneficiary institutions are obsolete, inadequate or underutilized.
“Notably, improving and expanding Nigeria’s R&D Infrastructure and facilities are essential if we are to raise the level of productivity and move the country to a knowledge-based economy.
“Consequently, the Fund made provision under the 2024 intervention for the upgrade of the equipment in Workshops and Laboratories for Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education (Technical)”.
The TETFund Boss explained that to ensure effective implementation of the intervention, the Fund constituted an Advisory Committee chaired by Prof. Hayward Mafuyai Babale to advise on the operationalisation of the upgrade of equipment in Workshops and Laboratories of the Institutions.
Also, to ensure the consolidation of the Centres of Excellence, the Fund made provision under the 2024 Intervention for the upgrade of the most performing Centres. Consequently, the Fund considered it expedient to constitute an Ad Hoc Committee chaired by Prof. Oyewale Tomori to assess and review the performance and progress of the Centres in the Universities in line with their specific mandate.
Furthermore, in consonance with the Fund’s commitment to the promotion of skills development, provision was made for Skills Development Programme in Polytechnics under the Fund’s Special interventions. Consequently, the Fund constituted an Advisory Committee chaired by Prof. Idris M. Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of NBTE to advise on the modalities for the operationalisation of the Skills Development Special Intervention.
Consequently, he stated that the three committees had six weeks from today to submit their reports.
In their acceptance speech, all the committee Chairmen thanked TETFund for the opportunity and promised to put in their best effort.
