TETFUND: Why No Support For Private Tertiary Institutions?

Dear Editor,

I am writing to strongly express my concerns about how a virile segment of the knowledge production community is being restrained from access to an essential resource base of national importance?

Private tertiary institutions should not be left at a disadvantage simply due to the nature of their establishment by private individuals, many of who appear to be essentially public-spirited and driven by the altruism to see education in Nigeria reach global standards of excellence. It would be more befitting if the Fund’s criteria for the award of grants could include all these privately owned institutions.

READ: On Higher Institution Age Limit

It has become a thing of intrigue and interest to wonder why TETFund only focuses its interventions on federal and state educational institutions, despite its name denoting it as a Tertiary Education Trust Fund, which ought not to entertain any discrimination in its application.

Over the years, precisely in 2021, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) approved a huge N292.66 billion intervention fund to select universities, polytechnics and colleges of educations across Nigeria.

It would be more befitting if the Fund’s criteria for the award of grants could include all these institutions, and perhaps limit the applicability to tertiary institutions established and run by Nigerians.

• Boluwatife Omole, Osogbo