The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has allocated the sum of N70 billion for the building of Mini Grid Power projects across eighteen selected tertiary institutions to address the high cost of electricity towards facilitating research and learning in the country.
A member of the TETFund board, Danladi Abubakar Sani disclosed this at a 3-day Town Hall meeting for TETFund beneficiaries institutions for the North-East region in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
Sani, who represents the North-East in TETFund, said the Board was determined to create a knowledge-driven industries that would foster innovations within Nigeria’s institutions, generate employment and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.
According to him, the Aminu Bello Masari-led Board was committed to addressing critical issue in Nigeria’s institutions for growth, innovation, and development.
“By fostering innovation ecosystems within our institutions, the Board is situating the foundation for knowledge-driven industries that can generate employment and contribute significantly to national economic growth.
“To address one of the most persistent challenges facing our tertiary institutions, the high cost of electricity, the Board has also approved the Mini Grid Power Project under the Year 2025 Intervention Cycle, with a N70 billion allocation across eighteen (18) institutions, which have been selected to benefit from sustainable mini grid energy solutions.
“This bold step will ensure a stable, cost-effective, and renewable electricity supply to campuses, thereby reducing operational costs and enhancing research and learning,” he stressed.
While commending President Bola Tinubu’s renewed vigour in changing the landscale in education environment, Sani said, the Fund has executed several projects in the region in specialised high impact projects, disaster recovery, security, upgrade of laboratories and workshops, hostels, among others for the 2025 TETFUND interventions.
He added that the Board was positioning tertiary institutions to be among globally competitive, innovation-driven and deeply responsive to the needs of their host communities.
“As we remain steadfast in strengthening accountability frameworks, expanding investments in alternative energy solutions, promoting advanced research in agriculture and health sciences and consolidating our ICT driven learning platforms. The journey ahead requires the collective effort of all stakeholders.
“The responsibility of shaping the future of Nigerian higher education cannot rest solely on the Fund or government institutions; it demands collaboration, shared ownership, and active participation by all of us, institutions, communities, industries, and civil society alike,” he maintained.
The Vice Chancellor of Gombe State University, Professor Umaru Pate expressed happiness that TETFund was much alive to meet the needs of tertiary institutions, noting that most of the projects in state-owned institutions were TETFund projects.
Pate however expressed concerns that some states have gone ahead to establish institutions with the hope of being funded by TETFund, while noting that expansion without quality was dangerous to the education system.
Guest speakers at the event, Dr. Isa Mohammed of the Department of Political Science and International Relations as well as Prof. Solomon Iyekekpolor, Director of Academic Planning, both from the Taraba State University, Jalingo, commended the Federal Government’s commitment in improving quality of education in higher institutions.
