By Jumoke Olaitan
The Government of The Gambia has announced plans to undertake a study tour of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in Nigeria.
The Gambian Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Prof. Pierre Gomez, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja when he led a delegation to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono.
Gomez said the visit was to inform Echono about the establishment of The Gambia’s Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund, modelled after Nigeria’s TETFund.
He said officials of the newly established THET Fund would soon embark on a study tour of Nigeria and sought TETFund’s assistance and cooperation for the exercise.
The minister said Gambian authorities had, over the years, closely followed TETFund’s activities and achievements through its website, social media platforms and other media channels.
He said the experience had influenced the decision of the Gambian Government to establish a similar agency to support higher education institutions in the country.
Gomez also stressed the need for effective collaboration between TETFund and THET Fund, particularly in research and capacity development.
According to him, such collaboration will further strengthen diplomatic relations between Nigeria and The Gambia, particularly as both countries are in the West African region.
In his response, Echono welcomed the Gambian delegation and expressed appreciation to the minister and his entourage for the visit.
Giving an overview of the history of TETFund, he said the Fund had evolved from its original establishment as the Education Trust Fund (ETF).
The Executive Secretary said the establishment of TETFund was prompted by the critical challenges facing Nigeria’s tertiary education sector more than three decades ago.
He said the challenges necessitated the Federal Government and other stakeholders to develop an alternative source of funding for tertiary institutions.
Echono explained that, until the introduction of the new Development Levy by the administration of President Bola Tinubu in 2026, TETFund’s source of funding was a three per cent Education Tax on the accessible profits of companies registered in Nigeria.
He added that only public tertiary institutions were enlisted as beneficiaries of the Fund.
Echono said TETFund’s interventions over the years had focused on addressing critical needs of tertiary institutions.
He listed the areas to include essential physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, instructional materials and equipment, research and publication, academic staff training and development, among others.
He said the interventions were aimed at improving and maintaining standards in higher education institutions.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi