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By Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has called for the sustained presence and expertise of the Nigerian military to help guarantee safer learning environments in tertiary institutions across the country.
The agency noted that, beyond its core security responsibilities, the military has become an increasingly important driver of educational development and technological innovation in Nigeria.
Executive secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stated this during a recent courtesy visit to the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
He explained that the visit was aimed at appreciating the military’s strategic role in safeguarding the nation and supporting the education sector.
Echono reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Nigerian Army in promoting education, security and technological advancement.
“We also want to underscore the important role the military is playing in the education sector. And we look forward to deepening our collaboration with the Armed Forces,” he said.
The TETFund boss highlighted the growing importance of emerging technologies and expressed the agency’s readiness to explore innovation opportunities being championed by the military.
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“As technology advances, the military continues to drive significant innovations. We are eager to explore areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence and other technological advancements being pioneered by the a rmed forces,” he said.
He further assured the Nigerian Army of TETFund’s continued support in areas aligned with national development priorities. “We want to reiterate our commitment to supporting the Armed Forces in every possible way,” he added.
Responding, the Chief of Army Staff, General Waidi Shaibu, thanked the TETFund Executive Secretary for the visit and commended the agency for its support to the Nigerian Army School of Engineering, Makurdi, and the Nigerian Army University, Biu.
He welcomed the opportunity to strengthen collaboration between both institutions. “I am most grateful for this opportunity to deepen collaboration with TETFund,” he said.
The Army Chief disclosed that the Nigerian Army is intensifying efforts to enhance modern warfare capabilities, particularly in drone technology and armament development, but acknowledged that manpower shortages remain a major challenge.
“We are expanding our focus on drone warfare and armament development. We are also looking at sponsoring young Nigerians to become pioneers in these fields, but the required manpower is lacking. We are therefore seeking your support in that regard,” he said.
He stressed that TETFund’s support in intellectual and human capital development would be critical to building indigenous capacity in military technology and defence production.
General Shaibu noted that Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported military hardware highlights the urgent need for local capacity development.
“The more we rely on imported arms, the more difficult it becomes for us until we begin producing our own,” he said.
He commended TETFund for its contributions to transforming Nigeria’s education sector and underscored the importance of sustained investment in human capital development.
