By Martin Paul
Abuja
Hope of private tertiary institution owners to talk the new Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Abdullahi Baffa into including them in interventions, has again hit the rock.
Bafa told newsmen in Abuja that the Fund has its mandate for only federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
“Even if we are to review the Act establishing TETFund, it would not the area of including private universities or polytechnics i9n our intervention list.
“Our mandate specifically says we were established to look into institutions owned by federal government, therefore, we cannot bend the rules to satisfy private institutions”, he added.
Baffa recalled that TETFund, then Education Trust Fund (ETF), was also putting its revenue into primary and secondary education ant that contributed to its inability to intervene in tertiary system.
“The tax revenue we derive from companies are, not only for intervention in physical infrastructure in tertiary institutions, but also for intervention in research, development of academic staff knowledge and support research works of lecturers”, he said.
Baffa further clarified that research remains one of the five core mandates of the Fund, explaining that the research fund is dived into three places with universities taking the highest percentage.
“We also have N3 billion High Impact Research fund that is given out annually based on the importance of such research and we ready to support any cross-cutting edge that is in line with our mandate and development agenda”, he added.
