The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, has announced that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) will cease funding for any non-performing centre of excellence established eight years ago.
Naijaonpoint reports that the minister made this disclosure during a reception of two ad hoc committee reports on the assessment of TETFund Centres of Excellence and the operationalization of Skills Development Special Interventions.
Professor Mamman emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering high standards in academic research and development, stating, “We can’t be giving free money to institutions that are not doing what they are supposed to do.”
He further highlighted the objective of raising equipment levels in educational institutions, particularly polytechnics, to enhance skill development that meets both national and international standards.
Also weighing in on the matter, TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arc Sonny Echono, criticized the inefficient use of funds by some centres, noting that unused allocations have yet to be accessed due to the centres’ failure to meet required milestones.
“The idea was to incubate, to have one centre, the right equipment, the right tools, the right faculty and experts, that would lead our efforts in research, in promoting scholarship at the highest level so that they can also inspire other centres,” Echono explained.
However, it wasn’t all criticism, as Echono acknowledged the success of several centres, citing Sokoto’s recent development of a COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with other institutions.
He expressed hope for similar successes with ongoing research into vaccines for other diseases like Lassa fever and praised some centres for their innovative prototypes that are ready for industrial production.