The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono has advised Nigerian students to take advantage of the Tertiary Education Research, Applications, and Services (TERAS) Digital platform designed by TETFund for tertiary educational institutions in the country for easier learning.
Arc. Echono made the call when he received the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Lucky Emonefe and other executives of the association during a courtesy visit to the Fund’s Abuja Headquarters recently.
While disclosing that the TERAS initiative was developed by the Fund to address critical challenges faced by students, researchers, and institutions in accessing educational resources and research materials, the Executive Secretary urged Nigerian students to come onboard the platform and take advantage of the various opportunities it provides.
He explained that the platform provides centralized hubs for tertiary educational services, where tertiary institutions, students and researchers can access world-class educational resources, monitor research for plagiarism, and many other educational activities.
Some of the technologies captured under the platform, he said, include the Beneficiary Identity Management Service (BIMS), Aggregated Research Journals (EBSO), EagleScan for plagiarism, Blackboard Learning Management System among others.
He further disclosed that the Fund was working to provide free internet service for students in both public and private institutions for easy access to educational materials on the internet.
Speaking on accommodation challenges being faced by students in public tertiary educational institutions in the country, the Executive Secretary disclosed that the Fund was embarking on constructing student hostels in 36 tertiary institutions across the country, having realized that a larger percentage of students live off-campus amidst security challenges.
“Many of our students are living outside campus, jumping on okada (motorcycles) in the rain. Some of them cannot even come back for evening lectures because of financial constraints, distance, and security situation of the environment they live in.
“We want to ensure about 50 to 60% of our students live on campus, and we are not going to build matchboxes hostels, but hostels that will attract other students from other parts of the world,” he said.
Arc. Echono explained that contrary to assumptions that TETFund only caters for infrastructure and training of lecturers of tertiary institutions, students remained the topmost priority as these intervention efforts are geared towards provision of quality education, as well as conducive and safe environment for students’ learning.
Responding to NANS request for assistance in the construction of a secretariat, the TETFund boss stated that he would discuss the issue with the Minister of Education.
He assured NANS of the Fund’s continuous support and partnership saying “We will continue to support NANS, partner with NANS because there is no doubt that any policy, programme or project that you want to carry out in the education sector, students must be at the center of it. Higher institutions exist because of students”.
Speaking earlier, NANS President, Comrade Lucky Emonefe applauded TETFund for its contributions to the growth and sustenance of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, remarking that without the efforts of the Fund, Nigeria institutions would be nothing to write home about.
He stated that the purpose of the visit was to formally introduce the new leadership of the association to TETFund management and also look into areas of possible collaboration.
While commending the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the Fund’s 2024 budget as well as the Students’ Loan Bill at the National Assembly, he assured that the association would monitor, supervise, and protect educational infrastructure in educational institutions across the country to complement the efforts of the Federal Government.
The meeting was also witnessed briefly by a member of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund and lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District, Senator Ned Nwoko who was at the Fund for a separate meeting with the Executive Secretary.
