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Gov Adeleke seeks more TETFund’s support for Osun tertiary education
By Uji A. Iliyasu
ABuja
Governor of Osun state, Ademola Adeleke, has sought for the support of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to strengthen the infrastructural development of the institutions in the state.
Adeleke was speaking during a courtesy visit on the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono in Abuja Friday.
The governor, aware of the falling standard of education in his state, said that the visit was necessary to restore the lost glory of education in the state.
Adeleke commended TETFund on its role in giving tertiary education a facelift, noting that hardly would there be any development in tertiary institutions that would not be traceable to TETFund.
“Let me first commend TETFund for the great job it is doing across Nigeria. There is no institution that you will not see TETFund’s presence, so any right-thinking governor must commend their work so they can do more.
“In osun state, greatest of Nigeria education is due to TETFund efforts. We are enjoying tetfund in the areas of infrastructure.
”I am here for the support from TETFund for Osun state. I come to ask for more because we still need a lot of support because our education has really dropped.
“And maybe it is because I have not come to see you that is why we have not paid attention to Osun state, and that is why I am here. You are doing a great job and you must continue,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono said that tertiary education plays a special role in the affairs and even the destiny of any country.
Echono said this was because tertiary education is where the greatest level of production, creativity and the greatest impact happen, especially in terms of new ideas, new product and services, and also better ways of doing things.
He said that adequate attention however must be placed on tertiary education because innovations, creativity and enterprises are usually at its highest level.
“We believe strongly that tertiary education plays a special role in the affairs and even the destiny of any country because that is the level where greatest level of production, creativity and the greatest impact happens.
“Whether it is in terms of new ideas, in terms of new product and services, in terms of better ways of doing things, it is at that level that innovation is at its highest, that creativity and enterprises are at its highest.
“And it is that body of knowledge of expertise that service the various sectors of every economy whether it’s health, media in any field.
“So if we get our tertiary education right, we can even export that to other African countries and indeed other parts of the world because Nigerians are known and we are endowed by God-very intelligent and hardworking people,” he said .
Echono said when Nigerians are equipped with the best facilities and the enabling environment to excel, they do better in every field.
”The task before everyone of us is how do we prepare our people, how do we improve on their living standards, how do we give them the necessary tools to transform to the end of other places in the world.
“And as a state we see you as one who can give this.
“On the specific of the request as it is usual, we discussed on specific issues in terms of infrastructure in our schools, we have to deal with some specific projects that we want them completed.
“We have to deal with issues and challenges that arise from security, climate change and flooding and other issues and we could work together in promoting arts and culture, our own indigenous technology, how collectively we can translate some of those in term of areas of research and innovation.
“Osun has taken a lot of lead even at technical levels called STEM, trying to promote technical education and the governor has been talking to me on how we can work together to take this beyond the basic and secondary education to the tertiary level,” Echono added.
He, therefore, commended the state governor for paying attention to education while also underlying how important to lay a solid foundation for sustainable development of the country.