Essential Ndubuisi
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has set aside N30 billion to disburse to six universities, six polytechnics, and six colleges of education under the 2023 Special High Impact intervention. The announcement was made by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Sonny Echono, during a news conference in Abuja on Thursday. The breakdown of the budget of N320 billion, recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, was also discussed.
The selected universities, which include Ibrahim Babangiga University, Lapai; Federal University Wukari, Taraba state; Federal University Birnin-Kebbi; Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Science; Edo State University and Federal University of Technology, Akure, will each receive N3 billion. The chosen polytechnics and colleges of education, which consist of Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara; Federal Polytechnic, Gombe; Federal Polytechnic Kabo, Kano State; Anambra State Polytechnic; Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora; Plateau State COE; Federal COE, Yola; Federal COE, Zaria; Enugu State COE; Delta State COE, and Taiye Solarin COE, will receive N1 billion each.
Echono stated that the intervention aims to inject funds into chosen tertiary institutions to achieve a major turnaround through programme upgrades and improvements in the teaching and learning environment. He also disclosed that N500 million had been allocated for micro teaching laboratory to selected COEs from the six geopolitical zones, N2 billion for teaching practice projects in the COEs, and N1 billion for the establishment of a diaspora center at the University of Ibadan.
Furthermore, Echono noted that the remaining five per cent of the N320 billion TETFund’s disbursement for 2023 will be used for staff salaries and allowances, project monitoring, and zonal capital projects. He called on institutions to ensure all resources were utilized judiciously, as mechanisms had been put in place to check performances.
