TETFund to reinforce huge investments in 13 new varsities

The executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, an architect, has said that with the support of the federal government, the organisation plans to reinforce huge investments in the 13 new universities to fast track their rate of progress, with a view to achieving the purpose of establishing them.

This is even as he called on tertiary institutions in Nigeria to produce entrepreneurs and not just graduates.

Echono, who stated this at the weekend when the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja, said one of his primary goals was to make tertiary institutions places that would produce entrepreneurs.

He said investments in creating entrepreneurs would go a long way in curbing the menace of unemployment and consequently tackle the socioeconomic problems prevalent in the country.

He restated the present administration’s full support to education, adding that this is evident in the recent presidential approval of upward review of education tax from 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent, which he said would enable TETFund cope with increasing demands.

He said the education tax would likely increase to three per cent as the government brings in educational investment, adding that it would go into expanding the frontiers of education in the country.

“The increased tax would facilitate the implementation of more developmental projects in the education sector,” he said.

He expressed appreciation at the show of support from Governor Lalong, while pledging continued commitment to the development of tertiary education in the state.

Earlier, Governor Lalong lauded TETFund for their numerous projects in tertiary institutions in Plateau State, saying it had become a lifeline