President Bola Tinubu on Friday, December 15, inaugurated the Tertiary Education Tax Funds (TETFUND) N1 billion Central Library Complex with a sitting capacity of 2,000 at Bauchi State University, Gadau.
Represented by Hon. Bappa Misau, a member of the House Committee on TETFUND and other services, President Tinubu acknowledged the positive impact of TETFUND on various institutions in Bauchi state. He highlighted the significant progress made in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, noting that public institutions like Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, College of Education Azare, and College of Education Kangere have all benefited from the strides made.
President Tinubu pointed out that TETFUND has sponsored 100 lecturers for Ph.D. programs in both local and foreign institutions, amounting to N955 million. Additionally, 143 lecturers have been sponsored for Master’s Degrees, totaling N359 million, among other initiatives.
The Vice-Chancellor of Bauchi State University, Prof. Fatima Tahir, commended TETFUND for its significant intervention, referring to the project as a ‘milestone’ that would contribute to shaping the institution’s future.
During his comments, Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFUND, emphasized the allocation of N17.3 billion for infrastructure-related interventions at the university since 2012.
The assurance of sustained support to enhance global competitiveness was conveyed by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at TETFUND, Olajide Babatunde, who represented the Executive Secretary.
Echono said: “From 2012 to date, TETFUND has allocated the sum of N17.3 billion for infrastructure-related interventions only, cutting across the Annual, Special High Impact and Zonal interventions, among others.”
“With about 97% funds already accessed, we note with delight that these funds are being deployed judiciously in the provision of requisite facilities, which are obviously seen in various locations on the campus here.”
He assured that the Fund would continue to ensure that its interventions were sustained and improved upon to enable government-owned tertiary institutions to undertake impactful projects that would make them become globally competitive