Education
Group decries non-release of N600bn revitalization fund for public varsities
Determined to continue with its advocacy aimed at improving the quality of infrastructure in public universities across the country for enhanced teaching and leaning, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Education Advancement Initiative (EAI), has called for immediate release of 600 billion Naira this year as revitalization fund for the public universities in Nigeria .
According to the group said the timely release of the funds will ensure that deteriorating infrastructure at the universities campuses are rehabilitated, as well as pay the outstanding liabilities to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities,(ASUU), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), among others, to forestall disruption of academic calendar by the unions.
The group, which also accused government officials of clandestinely plotting to destabilize public universities in favor of privately owed which they have vested interest, decried the non-release of N300 billion universities revitalization fund captured in the 2023 Appropriation Act, but was not accessed due to the failure on the part of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to release the monies to the benefiting institutions, insisting that the N300 billion provided for in the 2023 appropriation Act be roll -over and anther N 300 billion for 2025 be release this year to carter for the long neglect which the university system has suffered.
Director, Programme, Education Advancement Imitative , Dr. Abimbola Tobi, who spoke to newsmen over the weekend in Abuja, blamed government functionaries, particularly officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General’s Office, of a deliberate plot to sabotage public university education and promote private ones which they owed or have vested interest in.
Tobi, said lack of funding of public universities by successive governments portends grave danger to nation development.
He said, hence the same government failed to release the 2023 funds in 2024, it will only be proper and just that both 300 billion for 2023 be roll- over and another N300 Billiton for 2025 be release amounting to N600 billion as total releases for this year.
Dr. Tobi, advised the federal government to provide a special emergency fund to tackle this problem ,instead of waiting for an envelop budgetary system .
According to him, due to long time neglect, infrastructure at the public universities have decayed so much that only the release of 2023 and 2025 amounting to 600 billion will be reasonable to complete ongoing projects and under take new ones.
“”We urged the federal government to pay at least. 2 tranches of 2023 and 2025 for meaning projects to be carried out. “”
He stated that the refusal of the government to release the university revitalization fund is gradually killing public universities, adding that infrastructure that could aid teaching and learning has become an eyesore in almost all the universities in Nigeria.
He said, if public university education is allowed to collapse by way of government lukewarm attitude to funding, the country will suffer dire consequences as there would be increased crime rate precipitated by joblessness and lack of skill to engage in productive ventures by the young population.
Tobi, a trained educational programme specialist , insisted on the release of the revitalization fund and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quickly save the university system by directing the AG’s office to release the N600 billion captured in 2023 and 2025 budget to universities.
According to him, the Tinubu-led Administration’s Student Loan Scheme will amount to nothing, should the infrastructure decay in the nation’s citadel of learning remain unattended.
The EAI official insisted on the implementation of the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and then ASUU on Needs Assessment programme.
According to him, the organisation recent interaction with indicates that ASUU is deeply angered by the failure of the Federal Government to honour the 2009 Needs Assessmenu agreement aimed at providing N220 billion annually as an intervention fund for the revitalization of public universities in Nigeria.
He warned the president against abandoning the needs assessment scheme designed to provide funds for the reinvigoration of public universities, particularly rehabilitation of decaying infrastructure as well as the provision of state-of-the-art teaching and learning equipment to the schools.
He appealed to the president to cause the immediate release of funds for the continuation of critical projects in the institutions being executed under the nerds assessment project.
According to him, the university community anxiously awaits the commencement of the projects.
Tobi advised the president whom he acknowledged has made significant statements towards revamping the education sector to release funds for the projects to ensure stable and quality academic environment.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government in 2009 reached an agreement with ASUU for the provision of 1.3 trillion on annual tranches of N220 billion over a period of 5 years as intervention funds for the revitalization of universities.
A review of the agreement was done in 2014. However, it is yet to be implemented resulting in several industrial actions by ASUU which distorts academic calendar in the ivory tower.
Our investigation revealed that officials of the Federal Ministry of Education are making frantic efforts to prevent any form of strike action under the Tinubu led government but the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation is yet to show concern in addressing the matter.
In a bid to contribute to educational advancement and development, the Neo-Black Movement (NBM) of Africa, Obafemi Owode Sub Zone, under the Ogun Region, has donated educational materials to selected government primary schools in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The initiative aligns with the Support-A-School-Child Project, spearheaded by the national leadership of NBM, aimed at bolstering education across Nigeria.
The donation was presented by Ambassador Tehinse Olanrewaju Ayoola on behalf of the Obafemi Owode Sub Zone.
Speaking at the event, Ayoola emphasised that the gesture would be an ongoing effort, particularly considering that Obafemi Owode is the largest local government area in Ogun State.
He urged students to remain focused on their studies while steering clear of cultism, drug abuse, and other social vices.
According to him, guiding young students in the right direction is crucial in preventing them from straying onto the wrong path.
The beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to NBM of Africa, Obafemi Owode Sub Zone, for their support and prayed for the continued growth of the movement.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled its initiative to establish 18 new Innovation Hubs in tertiary institutions throughout Nigeria in 2025. This effort aims to bolster the nation’s research and innovation landscape.
During the closing ceremony of the 30th Cohort of the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative, held at the Innov8 Technology Hub in Abuja, TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, shared the details of this ambitious project.
Echono emphasized that this initiative reflects TETFund’s dedication to nurturing a culture of problem-solving research, entrepreneurship, and technological progress. He highlighted the critical role of education and research in fostering national development and sustainable growth.
The R4i program, developed in partnership with Innov8 Technology Hub, is designed to enhance the capabilities of researchers and academics, empowering them to conduct innovative research that directly addresses societal challenges.
The Fund is committed to institutionalizing Research & Development (R&D) within Nigerian universities and fostering connections between research and industry. Echono explained that the phased establishment of Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres will enable participants to apply their skills continuously and mentor others in their innovative endeavors.
He acknowledged the importance of research in enhancing the quality of life in the nation and expressed gratitude to Innov8 for its collaboration in transforming the innovation ecosystem. Participants were encouraged to leverage their training to develop impactful innovations for their institutions and communities.
“I am pleased to recognize the impressive commitment displayed by participants of previous cohorts during their training, which led to significant innovations addressing various societal needs,” Echono remarked.
He also noted that several innovations from prior editions were showcased at the inaugural TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition in November 2024, and he expressed confidence that the current cohort would similarly demonstrate their innovative outputs.
Echono detailed the phased funding approach for establishing Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres, stating that the first phase will involve 12 institutions under the 2023 intervention, followed by 18 institutions in the 2024 intervention, and another 18 in 2025.
“These facilities will empower program participants to implement what they have learned at the innovation hubs and guide others,” he added.
Professor Idris M. Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), also addressed the audience, underscoring the necessity of patenting innovations and registering trade names for intellectual property protection. He urged Nigerian polytechnics to spearhead practical innovation by applying scientific principles to develop products and technologies that could enhance Nigeria’s technological status.
Bugaje criticized the country’s dependence on foreign manufactured goods, such as vehicles and electronics, and called for a shift towards local production. He cited examples from Rwanda and Uganda, encouraging polytechnics to promote teamwork and take proactive measures to demonstrate Nigeria’s innovative capabilities, thereby contributing to the national economy.
“I believe many of the innovations you have showcased are patentable, as securing patents is a crucial step in innovation. You must protect your ideas and discoveries. Furthermore, if any names have been proposed, trade name registration is also essential,” he stated.
He emphasized the urgent need for innovation in Nigeria, reminding attendees that despite being one of the world’s largest economies, Nigeria lacks a recognizable indigenous technology. “This training is vital as it fosters teamwork, which is integral to the innovation process,” he concluded.
Mr. Edward Singhatey, Director at Innov8 Hub, encouraged participants to take the knowledge gained back to their institutions and share it with their students to foster innovation. “We must focus on commercializing our research,” he urged, motivating attendees to utilize the resources at their disposal effectively.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it will partner with relevant agencies to boost Artificial Intelligence (AI) studies in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Sonny Echono, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.
He said the Fund had drastically scaled up textbook production in addition to other initiatives such as ICT centres to position Nigeria as a leader in AI in Africa.
He said this was part of TETFund’s contribution to the nation’s quest to tap into the multi-trillion dollars global digital economy.
According to him, AI is one of the few subject areas where the Fund could send scholars abroad for further training because it had not fully developed in Nigeria.
“We don’t send anybody outside anymore. But AI is a new and expanding field. It is one of the few areas we are training people abroad because we want to lead in Africa,’’ he told NAN.
He said the Fund had supported the development of AI textbooks, covering topics such as AI in teaching and learning, ethics, and curriculum development.
Echono said the aim was to boost the use of AI and to get the tertiary institutions to begin to exploit and use it in teaching and learning.
He said that in addition to book development, TETFund had trained over 3,000 scholars in AI and emerging ICT trends in the last two years in collaboration with leading institutions.
He explained that the initiative had resulted in the ICT training of over 17,000 educators through the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme.
“We started with general ICT training because we’ve been doing a lot of ICT training. If the teacher is not ICT-savvy, even for him to put his lecture on the platform is a problem.
“For him to interact with the students on the platform or to send his mark, to do his marking scheme, to relate, to get presentations, even zoom meetings would be a problem he must be ICT literate.
“After that we started letting them understand how they can use ICT, how they can leverage on it to improve the quality of their delivery and the experiences of their students,” he said.
“We want to leapfrog others in ICT, robotics. We are coming very strong in robotics now, but we are late comers, some people are already doing it before us.
“But we don’t want anybody to be ahead of us on this continent. So we are pushing those frontiers,” he said.
Echono also said that the present TETFund management inherited a stagnated book development programme that published only 20 books in 13 years.
He said that upon assuming office in 2022, he challenged the book development committee to meet ambitious targets of producing more books.
“I said, in the first year, you must do 50, if not I’m going to disband it, we’re wasting money coming to do meetings, talking, and not seeing the books.
“Later, I said I want to see up to 100 books being published and they said it can be done. We’ll give you all the support, publicise and advertise to Nigerian authors.
“We identified the subjects where we do not have enough textbooks. We Tasked the professors and all the experts in that field to put things in order..
Echono said this challenge spurred the book development committee as TETFund published 50 books in 2023, another 60 shortly after with another tranche of 50 textbooks published recently.
He explained that another batch of 50 textbooks was currently in under production. (NAN)