Bogoro’s TETfund South-west initiatives

“Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world” – Dr. Nelson Rohilala Mandela 1918 – 2013 (former President of South Africa)

 Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro, Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), will stop at nothing to make his marks in higher institutions in Nigeria. It is no gainsaying that since his return as the helmsman at TETfund, the prolific scholar has been industrious and focused in ensuring that Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning rank among the best globally not only in terms of research but also with state-of-the-art infrastructure. Just as in Nigeria’s North-central states’ tertiary institutions of learning, TETfund has taken its giant strides to South-west.

At the Tai Solarin University of Education Ijebu-Ode, there is the (2019 TETFund’s Special intervention for the completion of year 2014 special intervention projects). There is also the construction of home management laboratories including semi-detached 3-bedroom flat, crèche, food preparatory laboratory, textile workshop and the construction of science laboratory.

 At Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, the 2019 special intervention covered the construction and furnishing of laboratory building comprising three preparatory rooms, four laboratories and six offices. This includes the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of laboratory equipmentas well as the supply and installation, testing and commissioning of equipment for science laboratory and technology department. Prof. Bogoro TETfund visionary leadership also ensured the procurement and installation of furniture for the School of Management and Business Studies at Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.

At Osun State University, Prof Bogoro’s feats are quite commendable and legendary, with the construction and furnishing of academic building for College of Agriculture, supply and installation of five industrial single lock stichH-030_D4 and the supply of Juice Extractor, Juice Presser, Juice Mixer and Juice Sieve, among others. At the Federal Polytechnic Ede, Bogoro and his amiable team brought series of revolutionary initiatives with the design, fabrication and development of a ground based 12-chanel atmospheric parameter module (2019 intervention). The impact of Bogoro-led TETfund at the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH) Ogbomosho is highly commendable and exemplary with the construction and furnishing of students’ hostel building for College of Health Science (Type 1 to 4). At Osun State College of Education (OSCOE), Ilesha, Professor Bogoro and his team’s initiatives could be felt with other numerous projects executed. OSCOE has seen the construction of Home Economics Demonstration Unit Department and construction of School of Science (2019 special intervention).

At Federal College of Education Oyo (Special), the TETfund moving train has seen to the procurement and installation of farm implements for the Department of Agriculture Science, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of weather station for Department of Geography, School of Arts and Social Science (2019 zonal intervention ). At University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Bogoro commissioned the iconic TETfund-funded Academic Publishing Centre (APC) building, Faculty of Engineering Lecture Theatre and the remodelled UNILAG Medical Centre. “The idea of the UNILAG’s Publishing Centre came out of the challenge of publishing and to promote reading culture amongst Nigerian students, which has two main components; the visual section of the e-library and the book section,” the erudite scholar stated during the commissioning.

Bogoro’s lofty initiatives at the Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti is glaring with transformation and construction of School of Engineering Complex which comprises offices, classrooms and conference room as well as the construction and furnishing of a twin-lecture theatre, supply and installation of six Farm Green House (Amiran farmer’s kit complete with accessories, supply, installation and commissioning of one Massey Ferguson tractor M/1435 (72hp). There was also the supply, installation and commissioning of MQ 900 x 3000 Ball Mill Machine complete with accessories.

At the Federal Polytechnic, Oye Ekiti, the Bogoro team did well with the procurement of laboratory equipment and teaching aids for the Faculty of Science, procurement of laboratory and teaching aids for Faculty of Engineering and others through the 2019 Special Intervention for Completion of Year 2013 Special Intervention). Rufus Giwa Polytechnic (RUGIPO) Owo is also not left out with the construction of Faculty of Business Studies, procurement, installation, testing, commissioning of equipment and furniture as well as the construction and furnishing of 250-seat capacity Twin-Lecture Theatre.

TETfund, under the dynamic leadership of Prof. Bogoro, made its impact felt at the First Technological University, Ibadan, Oyo state, with the construction and furnishing of one-storey building comprising seven laboratiries, 10 offices, two lecture halls, seminar room and 10 executive tables; supply and installation of various workshop equipment for welding and fabrication and supply and installation of equipment for thermodynamics, fluid mechanical/electrical, basic electrical and engineering (2019 intervention).

At Oke-Ogun Polytechnic Saki, Oyo state, TETfund constructed and furnished the 200 x 2 capacity lecture centre for the School of Business and Communication Studies and at the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education (EACOED), Oyo, TETfund’s impact can be seen with the supply, installation testing and commissioning of 120 APC all-in-one integrated solar street lights with 400 Monocystaline Solar PV. And at the Federal University of Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Bogoro and his team initiatives include the procurement of laboratories equipment as well as teaching aids.

Interestingly, the success story at TETfund is as a result of team work and team spirit between the executive secretary and the management team while also not leaving out the entire staff of the fund. In the words of Theodore Levitt, “The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious”, also, Dr Mike Murdock said, “The most wonderful thing that can happen to a dream is a specific plan of action”. These two sages succinctly capture the secret behind the success story at TETfund.

Fatai writes via [email protected]

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