TETFund inaugurates new COEs, allocates N12bn for establishment of 12 more
Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it has allocated N1 billion each for the establishment of 12 additional Centres of Excellence (COEs) in tertiary institutions, as it inaugurated new centres.
Recall that under the 2020 intervention, 12 TETFund Centres of Excellence were established in universities, while also adding, earlier this year that 12 more Centers will be established evenly in six polytechnics and Colleges of Education respectively.
The newly-inaugurated COEs are in; Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Federal College of Education, Pankshin (North Central), Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Federal College Education, Yola (North East), Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna, Federal College of Education, Zaria (North West), Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri (South East), Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku (South South), Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and Adeyemi College Education, Ondo (South West).
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro, who disclosed this at the inauguration of the 12 maiden Centres in Abuja on Wednesday said two were selected in each geopolitical zone of the country and are to be funded for a period of 5 years.
Inaugurating the centres, Bogoro urged 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 civilizations and also drive economies and development.
“Having been painstakingly selected to host the second batch of TEffund Centres of Excellence (ICots), Whist 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 one billion Naira (N1billion) each, will be at the heart of the mechanism for the attainment of our national aspirations,” he said.
He added that one of the basic strategic aims for establishment of Centres of Excellence is to support strategic and applications-oriented research and expertise with potential industrial applications.
For the six selected Polytechnics, Bogoro added that the focus will be on technical skills development and entrepreneurship education.
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.
