Nigeria Should Invest More In Education, Says New TETFUND Boss

Newly appointed executive secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND),  Sonny Echono, has stressed that the Nigerian education system requires massive investment to prepare its population for global competitiveness.

Echono stated this yesterday in Abuja during the handing over ceremony of the fund.

The TETFund boss said the Fund plays a major role in creating knowledge based economy so as to enable Nigeria meet her national demands. He assured commitment to research and development, saying the seed fund for research and development in the agency’s 2022 budget will be progressively increased than previous years.

“There is no doubt that over the years TETFUND has established itself as a leading government agency whose impact has been felt, we shall continue to build a solid foundation even as we continue to improve on R&D.”

He said Nigeria must recognize the tertiary institutions as the hub of academic and excellence while efforts are increased on making Nigerian graduates more relevant as creators of wealth.

“We must create symbiotic relationship between the industry and the tertiary institutions to ensure seamless development of manpower,” he added.

He appealed to the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to create opportunities for the government to address the issues in phases.

The TETFund boss stated that the long-term solution to paucity of funds facing the sector is to improve on the economy and activate other sectors.

The outgone executive secretary of TETFUND, Professor Elias Bogoro, described the handing over as an exceptional transition.

“We tried to uphold fidelity, we also tried our best to meet the expectations of the beneficiary institutions as expressed in the law and we operate within the law.

“We tried to address a major challenge in the Nigeria university system which was a weak research culture and we created a new standard,” he said.

By Henry Tyohemba

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/03/map-congratulates-echono-on-tetfund-appointment/