The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari alongside Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State recently commissioned an iconic Senate Building funded by TETFund at the Main Campus of Osun State University in Osogbo as part of activities marking the university’s 15th Convocation Ceremonies.
This is in addition to three other buildings namely the 500-Capacity Auditorium and Twin Lecture Theatre, both commissioned by Governor Adeleke, as well as the Faculty of Computing and Information Science Building commissioned by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, who was represented by the Fund’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc. Babatunde Olajide.
In his remarks, Rt. Hon. Masari noted that it was heart-warming to observe the developmental strides recorded by the university since its establishment in 2006.
“For us at TETFund, the inauguration of projects is a pointer to progress and success in aligning with TETFund’s vision of making our institutions globally relevant and competitive in this age of pronounced digital advancement and the increasing relevance and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“We are resolved as an agency of the Federal Government to keep pace with current advancements and are making significant efforts to ensure that our beneficiary institutions are up to date, through support to acquire relevant tools of work for knowledge creation, learning, research and supporting entrepreneurship and skills development.
“We are assembled here today for the commissioning of four iconic projects sponsored by TETFund, whose total cost is N3,822,542,676.40. You may wish to know also that from the start of TETFund interventions to this university shortly after its enlistment in 2006, the Fund has allocated a total of N14,107,175,623.11, out of which a total of N10,554,366,446.14 have been accessed, leaving a balance of N3,552,809,176.97, most of which are already committed,” he said.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Clement Adebooye expressed appreciation to TETFund for its intervention and gave assurance of the university’s commitment to proper utilization and maintenance of the facilities for enhancement of teaching and learning.
Shortly before the commissioning ceremony, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono delivered the 15th Convocation Lecture of the university titled “Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Building Skills in Graduates for Global Competitiveness”.
Represented by the Fund’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc. Babatunde Olajide, the Executive Secretary noted that the conventional model of education was steadily giving way to digital approaches that provide enhanced flexibility, broader access, and more personalized learning experiences. In view of this, he stated that higher education institutions world over are being driven to reimagine their strategies and adopt digital solutions to remain relevant.
“Nigeria, like many developing nations, stands at a decisive moment where digital transformation in higher education can redefine its role in the global knowledge economy. While there are significant barriers to overcome, the opportunities for growth, innovation, and competitiveness are immense and can be properly harnessed,” he said.
Arc. Echono posited that a successful digital transformation in Nigeria’s higher education institutions would require a holistic approach that combines curriculum redesign and integration, capacity building for faculty and staff, infrastructure development, industry and academia collaboration, policy and governance Frameworks, sustainable funding models, hybrid mode of teaching and learning among other.
