UJI ABDULLAHI ILIYASU reports that the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro, goes about his national assignment with such zeal as if the next day will be too late.
Background
In recognition of his selfless service to the nation, Bogoro has been deservedly recognised and given awards by two prominent media houses in March this year for his selfless service to the nation.Leadership Newspapers awarded him the “Public Service Person of The Year” and Business Day Newspapers recognised him for his “Excellence in Public Service.”
The awarding media houses made it clear that since his reinstatement by President Muhammadu Buhari to his former duty post, his impacts had been glaring.
Bogoro was at TETFund as Executive Secretary between 2014 and 2016 before he was removed based on allegation of misappropriation of funds by the newly inaugurated Buhari-led government. But nearly three years after reviewing his case, he was found innocent, therefore he was recalled and reinstated by Mr President to the same office; something that had never happened in this country at that level.
TETfund’s impacts on higher education raised
Bogoro has virtually raised the level of impact of TETFund in federal and state-owned universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria. In fact, he has been emphasising on research, and using Research and Development (R&D) to flack the essence of research.
Researching to solve problems
TETFund boss said the essence of research is to solve societal problems. So researches are not merely scholarly theses for Master’s and PhD programmes.
“We have done a lot of research; some of them to give certificates, Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhDs. We do research to address problems at the level of senior professors. But the emphasis should be on problem-solving research. It is the problem-solving research that is synonymous with Research and Development) (R&D), which is what I am emphasising.
“They say I have done so commendably across Nigeria and in the minds of Nigerians. Particularly, lecturers and researchers now appreciate that the right way for Nigeria to improve rating and ranking of our universities is through research which must be problem-solving,” Bogoro said.
Faculty uplift
Under Bogoro, TETFund is simultaneously dealing with the improvement of quality of faculties. What that means is raising the quality of academic staff. That, he says, constitutes a faculty that can be a global reference.
Bogoro says faculty in proper context globally refers to academic staff. And faculty quality is very important, that is why TETFund has been training persons to acquire higher degrees particularly PhDs.
With Bogoro, the Fund has sponsored over 26,000 scholars, and above 10,000 have returned with their certificates and about equal number with slightly more locally, but significantly of course, overseas in areas that are relevant. So, Nigerians noticed that Bogoro’s emphasis on research, deepening researches, and promoting R&D as well as partnering industries is a new thing, vigorously pursued by a patriot.
“And that is the reality because we cannot continue to do research and keep the results in our shelves, in the departments, in the faculties, in our offices and in the libraries. And so what? It doesn’t solve problems. So since my return, I have done that. And they say even the number of physical infrastructure in our universities are increasing.
“TETFund-funded faculty buildings, lecture halls, offices, laboratories, libraries and all that and all that, they have seen more of them and the frequency of new ones imagined.”
Even where Bogoro build laboratories, he makes sure he equips them. He has a wide range of experience occasioned by his constant interface with renowned universities and academics overseas.
PhD holders increased
The percentage of those with PhDs has increased in our universities. Few years ago, only 40 per cent of Nigerian university lecturers had PhDs, but by 2015, after the intervention of academic staff training, the percentage has grown up to 60. At present the percentage pegs at the least 80.
Ad hoc committees
Professor Bogoro has so far inaugurated three committees which have been mandated to solve crucial issues in the Nigerian higher institutions of learning. These issues border on research and development, book publishing and impact assessment of TETFund interventions in the last 20 years in the nation’s tertiary beneficiary institutions.
Among public institutions in Nigeria, it is only TETFund under Bogoro that inaugurated dispassionate professionals from outside to assess its activities in 20 years.
Research and Development
The first was the inauguration of ad-hoc committee on Research and Development (R&D). During the inauguration of the committee, Bogoro reassured that researchers in Nigerian tertiary institutions would have no cause to remain poor.
He said innovative research and its consequent commercialisation is the driver that moves and nurtures the engine of modern economic growth, thus it is an important driver of poverty alleviation.
“The key measurement parameters for Nigerian Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the anchor for Nigeria’s economic transformation blueprint is dependent on Science, Engineering and Technology (SET). The advancement in SET is dependent on R&D.
“Innovative research and its consequent commercialisation is the driver that moves and nurtures the engine of modern economic growth, thus it is an important driver of poverty alleviation.
“There is ample evidence to show that R&D propelled by higher education, more than anything else, has contributed to the rise and expansion of the world knowledge economy.”
He further said that the power of commercialisation of R&D results has been recognised by both developed and developing economies and that the nature and demands of modern economy is the fundament stimulus for the university-industry relationships, and stressed that investment in research and development as well as human capital development is key to economic advancement of any nation.
He stated that in developed countries, industries look up to universities as potential innovators in the development and commercialisation of products, which results in funding the cash-starved universities and university researchers having access to most modern technology and management systems in industries. He added that higher education institutions are globally positioned to be the bridge between the productive society and knowledge growth.
Bogoro lamented that the level of research in Nigeria is remarkably low.
“In spite of the fact that the role of R&D in national development, including leveraging the quality of research and academic programmes is well known, the level of research and development infrastructure and productivity in Nigeria remains unacceptably low (0.02%).”
Absence of national platform
Bogoro averred that in spite of the fact that research and development is central to a country’s development, in Nigeria, there is absence of a national platform for the regulation and strengthening of research and development.
“It is in this vein that TETFund, propelled by my vision, continues to advocate the establishment by law, of a national R&D Foundation that will ensure a coordinated national framework for the sustenance and implementation of R&D.
“Such a foundation, when established, shall promote an effective interface between universities, government and private sector, especially the industrial subsector of the economy.
“Since 2004, when I was appointed the Executive Secretary of TETFund, I was and still am committed to lead TETFund in this vision by sensitising the whole country towards the need to strengthen R&D in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Formula for industrial development found?
During the inauguration of the Committee on Book Development, Bogoro poured out his heart on the establishment of Academic Publishing Centres (APC) designed for the nation’s scholars in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
At the inauguration, journalists and other guests outside of the university community were virtually reduced to the illiterate in the company of highly erudite academics drawn from various locations in the country’ higher schools and their academic unions.
During each of these occasions, Bogoro spoke and looked as if he had found the formula for the much needed industrial revolution for the country. His concern for Nigeria’s slow pace of social economic development was written all over his face. His speeches poured forth from his heart as if Nigeria’s survival depends on how effectively he runs the Fund.
Bogoro is one public officeholder who feels for Nigeria as a responsible man would feel for the problems of his immediate family.
He said Nigeria had realised that for a country to develop in all aspects of its life, it needs to subscribe to a knowledge-driven economy, and gave the examples of Brazil and Malaysia, which were once at the same level of development with Nigeria, but have now gone far because of their early recognition of the important role knowledge plays in a nation’s development.
Restoring quality academic publishing
The TETFund boss said it was embarrassing to see sub-standard books published by academics in the country. He was determined to stop the menace.
“We are all aware that there is critical paucity of indigenously produced tertiary level textbooks and related academic publications in the nation’s tertiary education institutions. It is equally worrisome that the quality of most academic publications in our country leaves much to be desired.
“To combat this trend head-on, the Book Development Fund intervention was deliberated created by the Fund with the aim of restoring the culture of research and high quality academic publishing within the higher education subsector.
“It is expected that nurturing the culture of quality authorship and the production of indigenous books will not only ensure the availability of relevant books in diverse subject areas that take cognisance of our local environment and sensitivities, it would also safeguard national pride.”
In fact, as soon as corona virus broke out, every Nigerian saw that there was justification for Bogoro’s emphasis on research for universities, polytechnics and colleges.
