In a recent development, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has committed N25 billion to enhance laboratories, workshops, and equipment across public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education (Technical) in the nation.
The Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, made this announcement during a forum for heads of beneficiary institutions. Echono emphasized the importance of not only providing equipment but also ensuring sustainable power for functional facilities.
He revealed plans to establish a committee for a competitive review process, ensuring responsible allocation.
“We are not just going to throw money at the problems. We want to see that these facilities will be properly upgraded and put to use,” he stated. Additionally, TETFund approved N5 billion in research grants for Nigerian scholars, acknowledging their significant contributions to various research fields.
Echono praised scholars for their achievements but expressed concern over the low remuneration of academics, advocating for “reasonable salaries” to retain intellectual assets domestically.
Addressing the issue, he said, “The salaries of our academics are something that we should address because we cannot pretend that we don’t know that all our best brains are leaving.” Echono highlighted the challenge of attracting international scholars with meager pay, especially when a professor’s total take-home pay after over 20 years is less than N500,000.
Furthermore, TETFund revealed plans to enhance access for National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) students. The agency aims to upgrade study centers, facilitating improved access to teaching, learning, and research for a diverse student population.
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