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Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Prof Suleiman Elias Bogoro, has disclosed plans of building an African Centre of Excellence by TETFUND at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Speaking as a special guest of honour during the Research Fair organized as part of the 14th convocation ceremony of the university, Bogoro commended the university management for its efforts in research and innovation noting that the institution named after the great Zik of Africa has lived up to its name.
He said TETFUND has moved from its various intervention programmes like providing buildings, offices, classrooms, engineering workshops and laboratories into content component which research is all about.
He commended the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone, for providing quality leadership and administration through a commitment to academic excellence and prudent transparent management of resources.
He challenged universities to make the commitment to getting research grants so as to grow and channel such resources into research and development in order to make Nigerian universities compete with their ranks globally.
The TETFUND boss said the time to change the narrative in university administration and development is now noting that the future of university education in Nigeria lies in the culture of research and innovation.
He said a country’s development is anchored on the strength of its educational system and advised lecturers and academics not to politicise the university system in Nigeria because of its inherent dangers to the education system.
He recommended that leveraging on the research and innovation culture, UNIZIK should position itself to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of human capital that would lead to the transformation of the region and indeed Nigeria.
He said the institution should provide a formidable platform that would facilitate access of national research fund grants by private tertiary institutions and industries.
He later inspected various research fair stands mounted by various departments and units in the university and also launched hand sanitisers produced by the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences of the university.
