The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai the Education Trust Fund (ETF) equipment supplied to 51 polytechnics and monotechnics would boost access to tertiary education.

Rufa’I made the remark at Abuja in a one-day consultative meeting with the  Rectors and Provosts of the beneficiary institutions.

The institutions include 10 from the South-West, six from the South-East, eight from the North ­East and nine each from the South-South, North-West and North-Central.

“These facilities, when installed, will in no small measure enhance the training of students in the areas of Primary and intermediate technology, thereby facilitating the development of national technology and creation of job opportunities.

“It will also promote industrial peace in the Technical and Vocational Educational Training (TVET) sub-sector, and consequently complement government effort in revitalising the sector,” she  said

Rufa’I recalled that the Federal Government in 2000 and 2007 signed an agreement with UNESCO for the development of new curricula, e-books and training materials for the institutions.

She explained that over 80 per cent of the N12 billion approved by the Board of Trustees of the ETF for the supply and installation of the equipment in the 51 institutions had been released.

Earlier, Dr Mas’udu Kazaure, Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), said the equipment would be utilised based on the programme currently offered by the respective institutions.

He said the selection process for the supply of the equipment was based on a careful analysis of earlier interventions by ETF and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of ETF, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu,  noted that science could not be effectively taught in schools without the necessary equipment.

He said the supply of the equipment was a sign of “more good things to come to the sector.”