Nation
12 Varsities Get N1bn Each For TETFund Centres
Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, yesterday presented allocation letters to the Vice Chancellors of 12 universities for the take-off of their TETFund Centre of Excellence (TCOE).
Bogoro, while presenting the letters in Abuja at an event, charged the institutions on implementation of its own approved TCOE to address specific national development challenges by preparing professionals.
He also disclosed that the board would fund the centres with a grant of N1 billion each for five years to enable them attain national aspirations.
President Muhammadu Buhari in March approved the first set of TCOE to take up research in their respective regions for national development.
He said two universities were selected from each geopolitical zone of the country to bridge the gap between researchers and users, as well as stimulating and strengthening triple-helix relationships.
He listed the universities to include: in North Central, University of Abuja which would host TCOE in Public Governance and Leadership and University of Jos to host TCOE in Food Security.
North East has Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, to host TCOE in Food Security and University of Maiduguri will host TCOE in Arid Zone Research and Development.
He added that in North West, Usman Dan-Fodio University, Sokoto will host TCOE in Urology and Nephrology, while Bayero University, Kano will host TCOE in Renewable Energy.
Others are: South East, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike to host TCOE in Root Crop Research and Development and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka to host TCOE in Agricultural and Engineering Translational Studies.
Bogoro also named the University of Benin to host TCOE in Aquaculture and Food Technology, while University of Uyo will host TCOE in Computational Intelligence in South South region.
In the South West, the University of Ibadan to host TCOE in Multi-Disciplinary Studies and the University of Lagos on TCOE in Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management.
According to him, the relevance of COEs for capacity building in developing countries cannot be overemphasised.
He said COEs were potent instruments for nation building as far as they have the potential to realise human resource development.
He said “The conceptual framework for Centres of Excellence is unlikely to be unfamiliar, alien or even novel to most of you here. Nevertheless, a Strategic Framework and Establishment Guidelines for TETFund Centres of Excellence, as approved by the TETFund Board of Trustees will be made available to all of you.
”Each selected institution is expected to implement its own approved TCOE, with the objective to address a specific national development challenge through preparation of professionals, applied research and associated outreach activities to partner, especially community services.
”Within that prism, institutions will have autonomy to implement their own institution-specific proposals to enhance capacity to deliver national high-quality training to address development challenges.”
He said the major objective of establishing the Centres was among others, to support strategic and applications-oriented research and expertise with potential industrial application.
Also, the chairman, TETFund Board of Trustees, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam said the fund’s BOT was committed to advancing the tertiary education in all ramifications.
Ibrahim-Iman promised that the fund would continue to sustain the process of research in the country, noting that an additional 12 universities would be established by 2021.
He said “We want you to invest at least 70 per cent of the research grant in safe and high-yielding financial investment.”
Responding on behalf of Vice-Chancellors of the benefiting universities, Prof. Lilian Salami, Vice Chancellor, University of Benin promised to live to expectations in delivering the task accorded to them.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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