TETFund commits N1 billion to Diaspora Centre for Research and Development

*Injects N3 billion into micro-teaching laboratories in 6 colleges

By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

THE Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, said it was committing N1 billion to the Diaspora Centre for Research and Development, as its 2023 intervention in the project.

This came as the federal government’s intervention agency in tertiary education said it would release N3 billion to six colleges of education in each of the nation’s geopolitical zone for micro-teaching laboratories.

TETFund Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, who disclosed these at a press conference, in Abuja, explained that the Diaspora Centre for Research and Development would serve as an avenue to encourage Nigeria’s renowned scholars abroad to come home during breaks or holidays to share knowledge with their local counterparts on issues.

The project is a product of collaboration between the University of Ibadan and Nigeria in the Diaspora Commission.

The project, which is a 10-year plan, aimed at looking at the impact of the Nigerian Diaspora on the global front.

The Centre is meant to build the capacity to train the academia and produce numerous academic resources in Diaspora and Migration studies.

Echono said, “The establishment of the Diaspora Centre for Research and Development is another intervention to which we are committing N1 billion.

“You will recall that we have been having partnership and in one of our concluding meetings with the chairperson of the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, we did promise that we have a facility, modern facility where Nigerians who are making waves across the world can come during their break time, during their holidays and interact with our own intellectuals, make presentations and even carry out some levels of research and teaching.”

He also said following the request of the leadership of the National Commission for Colleges, TETFund was continuing the provision of micro-teaching laboratories to six new federal colleges of education across the country.

“At the request of our colleges of education sector led by the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, we are continuing the provisions of micro-teaching laboratories to six new federal colleges of education. We have been providing that as the key element of teaching for teachers. We have picked six institutions, one from each geo-political zone of the country,”he said.

He named the beneficiaries as the Federal College of Education in Otukpo in Benue State, the Federal College of Education Jama’re in Bauchi State; the Federal College of Education, Gidan Madi, in Sokoto State; the Federal College of Education in Isu, Ebonyi State; the Federal College of Education in Ekiadolor, Edo State and the Federal College of Education in Iwo, Osun State.

“So each of these federal colleges of education would earn N500 billion for micro-teaching laboratories. That is to say that a total of N3 million has been allocated for that intervention,” he explained.

Noting that TETFund has the statutory responsibility of funding teaching practice in the nation’s federal colleges of education, Echono said,”That responsibility is being expanded now by the recent approval made by President Muhammadu Buhari on the repositioning of teaching.”

He said: “The modalities for the implementation of that which we expect to come into force by next year is being worked out by inter-ministerial committee under the Federal Ministry of Education.

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