FUT Minna: N3bn Spent on Capital Projects in Four Years, Says Vice Chancellor

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Minna (FUTMinna), Niger State, Professor Abdullahi Bala, has stated that over N3 billion has been spent on the execution of projects in the institution by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

Eight of the projects were inaugurated yesterday as part of activities to mark the 38 foundations and 30th convocation of the university.

The inauguration was done jointly by members of the Joint National Assembly Committees on Education.

The vice chancellor in his address said TETFUND has become the life wire of public universities because it has been responsible for the funding of capital projects in the universities.

He said: “TETFUND has become a critical agency in the funding of Nigerian universities, and through the agency, we have been able to provide a number of projects in our university, some of which we inaugurated today.”

Bala said for private tertiary institutions to benefit from TETFUND grants, they must be ready to stop collecting tuition fees.

In their separate remarks, the Senate Committee Chairman on Tertiary Education, Abdullahi Saabi, and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Hon Chinedu Owensho, promised that the National Assembly would ensure that the provision of infrastructure is adequately captured in the budget, and will resist any attempt to starve higher institution of learning in the country of funds.

Also, the vice chancellor said the TETFUND has now assumed the responsibility of funding capital projects in Nigeria universities, wondering what would have been the fate of the universities in the country without the agency intervention.

According to him, “TETFUND was initially meant to be an interventionist agency but today the agency is doing more in the area of funding of capital projects in our federal and state universities.”

Bala disclosed that in the last four years under his administration, TETFUND has expended well over N3billion in executing various capital projects, adding that the agency provides an average of N500million as intervention fund to universities across the country annually.