TETFund, Army deepen partnership on education, security, technology
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Nigerian Army in the areas of education, security and technological advancement.
Echono made this known during a courtesy visit to the Army Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, where he stressed the importance of sustained partnership between both institutions in promoting national development and creating a safer environment for educational institutions across the country.
He said the visit was also an opportunity to appreciate the military’s strategic role in safeguarding the nation and supporting the growth of the education sector.
He noted that beyond its security responsibilities, the military has increasingly become a major contributor to technological innovation and educational development in Nigeria.
“We want to underscore the role the military is playing in our education sector and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with the military,” Echono said.
The TETFund boss highlighted the growing importance of emerging technologies and expressed the agency’s readiness to explore innovative areas being driven by the Armed Forces, particularly in robotics, Artificial Intelligence and other advanced military technologies.
“As technology advances, a lot of innovations are being carried out by the military, and we are interested in exploring areas such as robotics, Artificial Intelligence and other technological breakthroughs being pioneered by the Armed Forces,” he added.
Echono assured the military of TETFund’s continued support in initiatives that align with national development priorities, especially those focused on capacity building and technological growth.
Responding, the Chief of Army Staff, General Waidi Shaibu, commended TETFund for its support to the Nigerian Army School of Engineering and the Nigerian Army University.
He described the visit as a significant step towards strengthening collaboration between both institutions.
Shaibu disclosed that the Nigerian Army is intensifying efforts in modern warfare capabilities, especially in drone technology and armament development, but noted that inadequate manpower remains a major challenge.
“We are pushing more in the area of drone warfare and armament development. We are also looking at sponsoring children to become pioneers in these areas, but the requisite manpower is lacking, so we seek your support,” he said.
The Army Chief stressed the need for Nigeria to develop indigenous military production capacity, noting that continued dependence on imported arms poses long-term challenges.
“The more we continue importing arms, it will remain difficult for us until we begin producing our own,” he stated.
He also praised TETFund for its sustained contributions to the transformation of Nigeria’s education sector and human capital development.