Education

TETFund approves N130m intervention fund for polytechnics

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has approved N130 million as an intervention for polytechnics in its 2023 intervention line, geared toward reinvigorating skills acquisition in polytechnics across the country.

The Director of Infrastructure of TETFund, Buhari Mika’Ilu, made the disclosure at the Fund National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) sensitisation workshop in Abuja on Tuesday, June 6.

Mika’Ilu said the intervention was to consolidate the efforts of the NBTE in increasing the capacities of polytechnics to deliver on their mandate.

He said the intervention was mostly used to support institutions to meet basic requirements for accreditation.

He said: “Funds are allocated in line with the provision of the Establishment Act and guided toward addressing critical and essential needs of the beneficiary institutions for the improvement of quality and maintenance of standards in the tertiary educational institutions.

‘“NBTE has been at the forefront in championing the need to have skills in the educational system in Nigeria.

“It is in response to this, that the fund has prioritised the 2023 Zonal Allocation to polytechnics to be geared toward reinvigorating skills acquisition in the polytechnics across the country.

“This is to further consolidate on the efforts of NBTE to increase the capacities of Polytechnics to deliver on their mandate.

“Therefore, the sum of N130 million only allocated to each polytechnic has the main focus of procurement, installation, testing, training, and commissioning of relevant training materials.”

The TETFund director revealed that since inception of the zonal intervention in 2016, the Fund had allocated N52,046,079,584.7 as zonal intervention to enlisted polytechnics.

Mika’Ilu added: “In the year 2017, the fund focused on the zonal intervention on student dignity project.

“Hence, the intervention was used to upgrade and standardise all lavatory facilities or provision of new ones where necessary in academic areas of institutions, also shuttle buses (coaches) were also procured for students use among other projects.

“Most recently, the 2022 intervention was used for deployment of ICT facilities within the institutions in line with the guidelines developed by the Fund. This is essentially to increase the capacities of institutions to function effectively and deliver their programmes online.”

He said the intervention, a post-research activity, has created an opportunity for academic staff in science and technology programmes to fabricate equipment, thus promoting skills development in the polytechnics.

Mika’Ilu expressed optimism that the intervention would in the long run, support the institution to resuscitate skills and improve graduate employability.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, charged rectors of polytechnics to explore innovative approaches to skills development and devise effective solutions that would enhance the quality and relevance of technical education in the institutions.

Echono stated that skills development and entrepreneurship represented a holistic process in which individuals in society pursue opportunities and address needs through innovation.

The Star