Regina Otokpa 
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sum of N7.5 billion for Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF) for the year 2020, to boost ongoing efforts at managing and finding sustainable solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research fund, which was increased from initial sum of N3 billion, would enable TETFund provide 12 COVID-19 and related infectious diseases molecular laboratories with two sited in each geopolitical zone.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, who made this known at the 2020 TETFund Board of Trustees (BoT) retreat yesterday in Abuja, said this would make the fund the highest single provider of COVID-19 test centres in the country.
Bogoro, who further disclosed that the president equally approved the establishment of six medical simulation research and clinical training facilities in six colleges of medicine, added that the BoT had approved over N200 million to sponsor some COVID-19 research proposals mainly from universities and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
He said: “The BoT also endorsed and was subsequently approved by the President that six Medical Simulation Research and Clinical Training facilities in six Colleges of Medicine, one in each geopolitical zone, are to be established this year.
“Individually, this provided an opportunity for twelve COVID-19 and related infectious diseases Molecular Laboratories to be provided, two in each geopolitical zone, thus making TETFund the highest single provider of COVID-19 test centres in Nigeria.
“The BoT also approved that TETFund sponsors some COVID-19 research proposals to the tune of over N200 million, mainly from universities and NAFDAC, this being one of the reasons TETFund has recently been made the secretariat for Nigeria COVID-19 Research Consortium R&D.”
The TETFund boss further disclosed that the approval was made from the 2020 budget for TETFund to aggressively commit funds to reverse the embarrassing situation of hostel accommodation in tertiary institutions, and to also make learning environment more attractive for local and foreign students.
Bogoro, who said only 15 per cent of Nigerian students were living in hostel accommodation in their institutions, explained that the BoT had directed management of the agency to make recommendations towards migration to e-learning consistent with global best practice.
On the achievements of TETFund between 2011 and 2019, the BoT Chairman, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, said the fund constructed 80 auditoriums and lecture theatres in 223 beneficiary institutions within the period..
According to Ibrahim-Imam, the fund also constructed 500 classrooms, 2,383 administrative and staff offices, 40 fully-equipped libraries, 250 science laboratories, 38 ICT centers, eight medical centres and sick bays, 100 vehicles and major infrastructure in the 12 newly establsihed federal universities.
He said to consolidate on the achievements, TETFund hays made provision in the 2020 budget for emergency special intervention to the University of Abuja and special high impact projects to six universities, one from each geopolitical zone.
He further disclosed that the agency would provide take-off grants to the six newly created federal polytechnics, one in each geo-political zone, and the construction of over 200,000 hostel accommodation in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to tackle the deficit of accommodation in the institutions.
“We will scale up the provision of fit-for-purpose infrastructure, result-oriented research and cutting-edge technology in our tertiary institutions. And we will do all these with utmost integrity,” he said.
