Sfaff training: NOUN parleys TETFund on intervention fund

National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), has appealed to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to expedite action on the applications of its staff awaiting response of conference and study leave intervention.

Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdalla Adamu, made the appeal yesterday when TETFund sensitisation team visited the university’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

Represented by the Deputy ViceChancellor (Admin) Professor Victor Adedipe, the VC said TETFund’s visit was apt, in view of the fact that “many of us are ignorant of accessing funds, especially in the area of academic”.

Adamu said the sensitisation meeting was crucial to NOUN staff , but for the fact that they were scattered around the country, there was the need for the sensitization manual to be distributed to staff nationwide.

“Sir, because of our spread, it is not convenient for all our staff to be conveyed here for this crucial sensitisation, but in order not to deny those staff of the privileges, on behalf of the university management, we appeal for soft copy to enable us distribute t them”, he said.

Executive Secretary, TETFund, Dr. Abdullahi Baff a, in his speech, said the sensitisation meeting became necessarily in view of the fact that after introduction of Access Clinic and Project Proposal Defense, many institutions were yet to be aware of the various intervention lines.

Baff a, who was represented by the Director, Executive Secretary Offi ce, Barr Ifi ok Ukim, said this lack of understanding had contributed to poor access to intervention funds.

“Th is sensitisation visit is, therefore, aimed at enlightening and building eff ective collaboration with stakeholders with a view to improving access to our intervention funds for the improvement of quality of tertiary education in the country.

“We wish to seize the opportunity to also keep you informed about our activities and processes as part of our eff orts at ensuring openness and transparency as a Trust Fund”, Baff a said.

He said besides normal and special interventions, the Fund had introduced two new lines of interventions under project maintenance and ICT supports and these had fallen as part of the mandates of the Fund.

Th e Project Maintenance Support, according to him, is to enable institutions renovate dilapidated buildings that had become eyesore on campuses.

Th e ICT Support intervention, he added, is for website uograde of institutions and for ICT training for teaching and non-teaching staff of institutions to enable them become computer profi cient.

“Th e Fund has succeeded in the provision and improvement of physical infrastructure in all 202 benefi ting institutions from 2011 to date.

“For this period under review, TETFund projects litter all the campuses of our public tertiary institutions.

In addition, the Fund has allocated substantial funds to all public tertiary institutions for the acquisition of library books and e-library resources in order to promote and support research, teaching and learning”, he added.

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