The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on Friday, inaugurated six Tertiary Education Trust Fund [TETFund] projects worth about N1 billion to boost teaching and learning in three universities in Ekiti State.
Beneficiaries of the projects are the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti; Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti; and Federal University, Oye Ekiti.
Buhari, represented by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Adeniyi Adebayo, during the inauguration of the projects at Ikere Ekiti, Ado Ekiti and Oye Ekiti, said, “The commissioning of these projects today at the universities would in no small measure further enhance teaching and learning and improvement of academic standards”.
The President said that TETFund through Federal Government’s support had performed exceptionally in infrastructure provision, and support for academic staff training and development among others to tertiary institutions.
He assured of continued support “to provide necessary support towards making our educational institutions globally competitive for economic and technological development of the country”.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, said completion and inauguration of the projects showed efficient management of federal government resources through the body “for the provision of requisite infrastructure to aid teaching, learning and research, in line with mandate that sets up the Fund”.
Echono, represented by TETFund Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Babatunde Olajide, expressed the government’s resolve to ensure that tertiary institutions attained high global ranking and become more competitive through the provision of a conducive learning environment that would enable scholar students to thrive and excel among their peers.
The TETFund boss disclosed that the Vocation Education Workshop Complex at BOUESTI gulped N318 million; the three projects at FUOYE including construction and furnishings of Lecture Theatre Block “A” for Faculty of Science cost N369.89m while at EKSU, the Faculty of the Social Sciences Twin Lecture Theatre and Medical Ward for the University Health Centre cost N306.85m.
BOUESTI Vice Chancellor, Prof Olufemi Adeoluwa, who lauded Buhari and TETFund for the provision of the vocational education workshop for the institution, said, “No doubt, the provision of this facility will further enhance a higher quality of delivery and equip our staff and students with acquisition of relevant skills and relevant skills that will give them competitive edge”.
Adeoluwa added that “TETFund since inception had placed all tertiary institutions in Nigeria on higher pedestal in terms of physical infrastructure, provision of standard learning facilities, conference attendance sponsorship, academic staff training and development, library development and ICT interventions etc.”
