TETFund Allocates N12bn For Establishment Of 12 Additional Centres Of Excellence

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has allocated the sum of N1 billion each for the establishment of 12 additional Centres of Excellence (COEs) in tertiary institutions.

Under the 2020 intervention, 12 TETFund Centers of Excellence were established in universities. This year, 12 more centers would be established equally in six polytechnics and Colleges of Education respectively.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, who disclosed this at the inauguration of the 12 maiden centres in Abuja, yesterday, said two were selected in each geo-political zone of the country and were to be funded for a period of 5 years.

The centres are: Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa and Federal College of Education, Pankshin (North Central); Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi and Federal College Education, Yola (North-east); Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna and Federal College of Education, Zaria (North-west); Federal Polytechnic, Nekede and Alvan Federal College of Education, Owerri (South-east).

Others are the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, and Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku (south-south); Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and Adeyemi College Education, Ondo (South-west).

Inaugurating the centres, Bogoro charged them to hit the ground running by ensuring to strengthen the sustainability beyond the year 2026.

“I’m delighted to welcome you all to this historic occasion, one that I hope will lay the foundation as well as define the trajectory for the transformation of our beleaguered Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) from mere ‘citadels of learning’. where inputs and outputs have left much to be desired for far too long, to the springboard of Nigeria’s leap into the knowledge economy paradigm, in keeping with the established tradition that Higher Education Institutions are the bastion of intellectualism and the breeding ground for creativity, original thinking and innovation that shape and define civilisations and also drive economies and development.

“Having been painstakingly selected to host the second batch of TETFund Centres of Excellence (ICots), it is appropriate for each of you here to feel justifiably proud for being deemed worthy of selection from among dozens of eligible candidate institutions.

“I hasten to draw your attention to the huge burden of expectation that comes with your choice as the pioneer Beneficiary Institutions of this initiative with immense national significance.

“There is but one true path to socio-economic and technological advancement – R&D- and the new 12 TCoEs (2 in each geopolitical zone of Nigeria, which we are to fund for 5 years with a grant of N1billion each, will be at the heart of the mechanism for the attainment of our national aspirations,” he said.

The Executive Secretary pointed out that each selected institution was expected to implement its own approved TCOE, with the objective to address a specific national development challenge through preparation of professionals, applied research and associated outreach activities to partners, especially community services.

He said one of the basic strategic aims for establishment of Centres of Excellence was to support strategic and applications-oriented research and expertise with potential industrial applications.

For the six selected Polytechnics, Bogoro said the focus would be on technical skills development and entrepreneurship education.

“The lofty vision of lifting 100 million people out of poverty and addressing the challenge of graduate unemployment in the country are more pertinent today than ever.

“We therefore, expect our TCEs in the six polytechnics to imbibe some of the tried and tested approaches to enhancing entrepreneurship among students, such as their engagement in extracurricular or co curricula activities, ranging from training programs, business plan competitions to entrepreneurship clubs that play an indispensable role in fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and expanding students’ involvement,” he said.

Similarly, he said the task before the six Colleges of Education selected to host TCOES is to specialize in pedagogy and periodic curriculum review and development.