To strengthen higher education in Nigeria through
research development, libraries and laboratories among others, the Tertiary
Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has released the sum of N826,684,392.00 to each
of the 91 public universities, bringing the total to N208 billion.
The agency said the overall student population in
the country represents 94 per cent in public institutions, noting that
N566,701, 842.00 and N542,226,346.00 have also been released to each
polytechnic and college of education in the country respectively.
In addition, TETFund disclosed that in its High
Impact Intervention programme, six universities in each geo-political zone would
receive the sum of N3 billion each, while N2 billion and N1 billion would be
paid to polytechnics and colleges of education respectively.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof. Suleiman
Bogoro, who made the disclosures in Abuja on Thursday during a meeting with heads
of public tertiary institutions, said too much emphasis has been placed on
physical infrastructure at the expense of research, publication of journals,
libraries and laboratories, which he observed were the missing link to change
the position of Nigerian universities in global ratings.
While appreciating the ongoing debate on the
increase of TETFund consolidated revenue from two per cent to three per cent,
Bogoro said there was the need for state governments to halt the establishment
of more universities, which are allegedly abandoned with the belief that
special interventions from the agency would come.
He noted that TETFund is an intervention agency and
not the owner of the institutions.
Prof Bogoro said: "If we do not deepen
research, we are only pretending that we can compete favourably with other
institutions globally. It is time to
focus on content component. Focus more on research, libraries and laboratories,
publication of journals and research centres. There has been too much emphasis
on physical infrastructure.
"I am worried over the increase of state-owned
universities because they want to enroll in as TETFund beneficiaries.
Institutions should not just be created because when there is an increase in
the number, the input in terms of intervention will decrease and this ought not
to be so. TETFund is an intervention agency and we are not expected to act as if
we own the institutions.
"In the high impact intervention, each
institution in the six geo-political zones will benefit in the 2019
disbursement. We will avoid cases of over-favouring a particular state, as
subsequently, other institutions and states will benefit too.”
Recalling allegations levied against him on
corruption, which led to his removal, the TETFund boss said: "I asked God
for three things which were justice, vindication and restoration. The president
investigated the matter and did me justice and asked me to return to my former office.
He did the unusual, something unprecedented."
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