TETFund urges technological Innovation in teaching, research and administration

The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has called on tertiary institutions to urgently adopt technology in teaching, research, and administration.

He warned that billions of naira already invested in ICT infrastructure risked being wasted if the technology was not fully embraced.

Echono made the call in Abuja on Monday at the opening of a two-day workshop on Blackboard/Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) Adoption and Usage in Beneficiary Institutions.

The workshop was organised by TETFund for registrars, bursars, directors of academic planning, ICT heads, and thesis repository managers of beneficiary institutions.

According to Echono, in spite of TETFund’s early investment in digital platforms such as TERAS, many universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education are yet to fully embrace ICT.

He emphasised that Nigeria’s rapidly growing population and limited classroom space made the adoption of technology the only viable path to expand access to quality education.

“We are no longer confined to the four walls of classrooms. With just an Android phone or device, students should be able to access content, participate in learning, and acquire skills.

“There is no alternative to technology if we must prepare our youths for the opportunities ahead,” he said.

Echono expressed frustration that some institutions still submitted hardcopy requests to TETFund in spite of directives for electronic submissions.

He recalled that during the COVID-19 lockdown, TETFund partnered with state governments, the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), and radio stations to broadcast WAEC syllabus-based lessons.

Echono said the initiative contributed to one of the country’s best WAEC results.

However, he lamented that Nigeria ranked 189th globally and 25th in Africa in education competitiveness, trailing smaller nations such as Rwanda and Mauritius, which had transformed their education systems through ICT.

“The government has done its part by providing the infrastructure. But when equipment is procured and platforms created, and they are not being used, that is the very definition of waste,” he stated.

Echono urged institutional leaders to ensure lecturers and students actively adopted the TERAS platform, noting that over time, more than half of TETFund’s education investments would go into ICT rather than physical infrastructure.

He emphasised that Nigeria had significant potential for growth by leveraging technology in key sectors, noting how countries like China had transformed through strategic investments in knowledge and innovation.

He also appealed to institutions to populate their websites with relevant data and ensure full onboarding of staff and students onto TERAS.

Earlier, TETFund’s Director of ICT, Mr Joseph Odo, said the interactive sessions were designed to deepen understanding of the Fund’s digital platforms and improve collaboration among beneficiary institutions.

Odo added that the workshop would be held across all six geopolitical zones.

He said that the goal was to strengthen the use of TETFund-funded platforms that aggregate data for planning and enhance teaching, research, and learning outcomes.