The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has taken a step towards enhancing skills development in the country by inaugurating three ad hoc committees with the task of upscaling skills development and strengthening the Fund’s intervention activities.
The committees, which include a committee on the operationalisation of equipment upgrades in workshops and laboratories for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education (technical), the Committee on Assessment/review of TETFund Centres of Excellence, and the Committee on Operationalisation of Skills Development Special Intervention, have been charged with the responsibility of ensuring effective operations and promoting skills development.
Speaking on Monday at the inauguration, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono emphasised the importance of skills development in addressing youth unemployment and poverty.
He stated, “The promotion of skills development is one of the priority areas of government to address the prevailing challenges of youth unemployment and the prevalence of poverty in our society.”
Echono also highlighted the Fund’s commitment to deepening its content-based interventions and facilitating the institutionalization of research and development.
He stressed the need for innovative ways to enhance the research capacities of beneficiary institutions and promote skills development for the country’s youth.
“In line with this commitment, the Fund has made provisions for the upgrade of equipment in workshops and laboratories for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education (technical) under its 2024 intervention. Additionally, the Fund has allocated resources for the upgrade of the most performing Centres of Excellence and the implementation of a skills development program in polytechnics.”.
The Chairman of the Committee on Operationalisation of Skills Development Special Intervention, Prof. Idris Bugaje, commended the Fund for investing in skills development, emphasising the importance of upgrading equipment and training local talent.
He stated, “We must train our own and use them. Our equipment is not working, so we must ensure we upgrade them, train our own, and use them.”
The committees have been tasked with assessing the state of workshops, laboratories, and skills development programs in target institutions, advising on the operationalisation of equipment upgrades, and reviewing the performance and progress of the Centres of Excellence. Their reports are expected to contribute to the upward development of the country within six weeks from the day they were constituted.
