Bogoro: Agenda for TETfund
N ow that Professor Suleiman Bogoro is back at TETfund to continue from where he stopped, Nigerians expect him to perform even better than his first outing at the agency. Good enough, the act establishing the agency specified the function of the agency and so, it is expected that Bogoro’s second term in TETfund will […]
TETFund
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ow that Professor Suleiman Bogoro is back at TETfund to continue from where he stopped, Nigerians expect him to perform even better than his first outing at the agency. Good enough, the act establishing the agency specified the function of the agency and so, it is expected that Bogoro’s second term in TETfund will herald a digital deployment of the agency to tackle the problems bedeviling Nigerian tertiary institution from the point of view of its mandate. It is imperative to remind Professor Bogoro that Nigerians place high premium on his second outing at TETfund as conveyed by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, when he urged him (Bogoro), to utilize the opportunity to re-focus the Fund and render its performance more responsive to the expectations of the current administration.
One important area of attention is the urgent need for establishment of Smart Tertiary Institution Environment (STIE) to permanently tackle the problem of Low Carrying Capacity (LCC), in our institution of higher learning, which experts have identified as serious factor responsible for low intake of students in Nigerian university arising from Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination in the country. There is no doubt that a smart university environment, for instance, can successfully admit up to two hundred thousand (200,000) students in one fell swoop. A situation where only about two hundred thousand (200,000) are admitted into our tertiary institutions out of more than two million students that sit for JAMB examination on yearly basis is not only embarrassing, but a shame to the nation.
The low carrying capacity of our tertiary institutions which in part, is responsible for JAMB systematic pegging of students to be admitted into our tertiary institution, via dubious cut off mark, has brought untold frustration to our youths as a result of not gaining admission.
Professor Bogoro should use the opportunity of his second coming to TETfund, to begin the process of solving the chronic problem of low carrying capacity in our tertiary institutions of learning, through systematic application of the Fund’s mandate. He should look at the act establishing TETfund to ascertain the best way to approach to this time bomb. To this end, the involvement of stakeholders in the education sector becomes imperative. If the mandate of the agency does not include establishment of Smart Tertiary Institution Environment (STIE) he should begin the process of amending the act establishing TETfund via executive bill to the national assembly.
An intellectual, it is expected that Professor Bogoro will confront the monster, low carrying capacity that has made JAMB look like an establishment with mandate to generate revenue for government only. Analysts have reasoned that every year, more than 1.5 million students that sit for JAMB are not admitted into our tertiary institutions on the excuse that they did not meet the cut-off mark; whereas, the main issue is LCC in our tertiary institutions.
It will be fantastic if Bogoro starts this project of STIE in six federal universities in the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria. By this, Nigerians will be sure that at least, 800,000 out of perennial 2.5 million students that sit for JAMB will secure university admission. Progressively, polytechnics and colleges of education may follow suit. The good news about STIE is that it could be self-financing. Once a smart school lecture hall is built, all what a student needs is a laptop to attend lecture within the school environment. And the cost of providing the smart environment and maintenance is affordable. It is also self-financing, as token that will paid by students for internet data will just be enough to keep the smart environment going.
Emeka Oraetoka, Abuja