By Charles Maduka
The Vice-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, has called on the Federal Government to keep the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) active to support higher education development in Nigeria.
Prof. Agboola said TETFund is very important for universities and other tertiary institutions. He warned against ending or cutting its funding because of the new Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He made this statement while receiving the Chairman of the South-West Zone of TETFund Board of Trustees, Sunday Adepoju, who visited the university to inspect projects.
The Vice-Chancellor said both TETFund and NELFUND should work together instead of replacing one with the other.
He explained that TETFund has helped solve many problems in Nigerian universities. Removing it would be harmful.
Prof. Agboola added that having both funds would reduce student dropout rates and improve university facilities.
He said, “Without TETFund, many universities might not exist. It has supported this university’s development and helped train academic staff for their PhDs.
“I got my PhD sponsored by TETFund at the University of Nottingham. Many of our staff also use TETFund for conferences and training. Most buildings here were funded by TETFund and Needs Assessment, apart from donations.
“My plea is that NELFUND should not replace TETFund, and the money for TETFund should not be cut.”
He warned that giving more money to NELFUND without improving facilities would cause problems. For example, 35,000 students apply here yearly, but only 7,000 can be admitted due to space limits.
“Most teaching materials come from TETFund. Cutting its funds to give to NELFUND should be reconsidered.”
Prof. Agboola stressed that no nation grows beyond the quality of its university graduates. Adding more students without facilities is not good development.
He urged the government to allow both agencies to operate together.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university uses TETFund money wisely and asked for more support.
Mr. Adepoju said his visit was to see ongoing and completed TETFund projects at the university. He praised the university for properly using the funds and completing projects without delays.
He said, “We are impressed by how well you manage TETFund resources. We see no abandoned projects or unused funds. This shows good management.”
The visit showed the strong partnership between TETFund and Olabisi Onabanjo University for the growth of education in Nigeria.
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