Main » 2012 » September » 28 » FG allocates N25 billion to tertiary institutions
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FG allocates N25 billion to tertiary institutions
The Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, has
announced the allocation of N25 billion as Special High Impact Project
fund for tertiary institutions for 2012.
She made the announcement recently at the opening of the Annual
Strategic Planning Workshop, organised by the Tertiary Education Trust
Fund (TETFund), for Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts and other
principal officers of federal and state universities, polytechnics and
colleges of education, held at the National Universities Commission
(NUC), Abuja.
Professor Rufa’i disclosed that 12 institutions
had been selected for the 4th Phase of the special intervention on the
principle of one university and one polytechnic or college of education
per geo-political zone. Each university is allocated the sum of
N3billion, while Polytechnics and Colleges of Education receive
N1billion each. The funds, she said, shall be used for programme upgrade
and improvement of the teaching and learning environment of the
institutions.
The Minister reiterated government’s commitment to
reinvigorating tertiary institutions to systematically upgrade the
infrastructural and instructional facilities in order to encourage the
training of high level manpower for the nation and eventual emergence of
centres of excellence through the TETFund high impact intervention. She
added that other institutions would benefit from the process, which is a
continuous one.
While expressing delight at the steady increase
in allocations to higher institutions over the years, the Minister
noted that each university was to receive N598 million, while
polytechnics and colleges of education would receive N339.5 million and
N321 million, each, respectively, as regular intervention. She
emphasised that the beneficiaries must understand that TETFund’s
interventions need to be properly prioritised and applied to projects
that directly add value to teaching, learning and research. She also
called on the Fund to intensify its monitoring activities in order to
ensure the effective implementation of both the regular and special
interventions.
In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary, TETFund, Professor Mahmood Yakubu,
, tasked beneficiaries to target projects that were of utmost priority
and put in place facilities that would be judiciously utilized in their
institutions. He said benefiting institutions must submit two-year
operational and five year-strategic plans as prerequisites for accessing
the funds, as these would enable TETFund monitor their implementation.
Professor
Yakubu advised them to be prudent and transparent in the management of
funds and to review implementation every quarter, so as to determine
grey areas, stressing that the funds are meant to build world class
institutions in Nigeria. In a goodwill message, NUC Executive
Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie, said the Commission was
collaborating with TETFund, to consolidate on quality assurance,
disclosing that results of NUC’s accreditation visits to universities
would henceforth be submitted to TETFund and used as a criterion for
accessing the intervention funds.
He called on institutions to
embrace good governance and proper handling of students’ records, as it
was crucial to their effective functioning. In his words, "any
university that has interim or denied accreditation status would not be
allowed to embark on a new project until existing projects have been
completed.”
Professor Okojie decried the habit of universities
employing too many adjunct professors, warning that, very soon, NUC
would embark on forensic audit of staff, students and programmes so as
to flush out the bad eggs in the System.
Representative of the
Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Atiku Bagudu, said the
Senate was ready to provide the legislative framework to ensure
judicious implementation of the funds.
Similarly, the Chairman,
House of Representatives Committee on Education Dr. (Mrs.) Rose Okoh,
called for strict measures of monitoring and evaluation to ensure
prudent expenditure.
The institutions benefitting in the 4th
Phase intervention are: South West University of Lagos Federal
Polytechnic, Ibadan South East Anambra State University, Uli Alvan Ikoku
College of Education, Owerri South-South University of Calabar Delta
State College of Education, Agbor. North West Kebbi State University of
Science and Technology, Aliero Federal Polytechnic, Kaura- Namoda North
East Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola Bauchi State College
of Education, Azare North Central Benue State University, Makurdi
Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa
