THE Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof, Suleiman Bogoro, has said the agency would sponsor research works in climate change and other societal needs in tertiary institutions.
Bogoro disclosed this while receiving Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, who paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that TETFund would put money in Research and Development (R/D) in order to develop capacity for productive research in higher institutions.
“We are looking beyond ordinary research findings.
“We are collaborating with the regulatory bodies National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and National Commission for Colleges of Education — to see that our tertiary institutions have capacity for productive research not perfunctory research.
“For instance, at Federal University, Gasau, a professor there should be able to do research or supervise PhD students in areas that solve social, technological, ICT, geological, climate change problems and other societal problems.
“That is what we intend to do and we are partnering with relevant institutions.”
He said that staff development and infrastructure were among the parameters in ranking of universities, adding that TETFund was committed to restoring the lost glory of Nigerian universities.
Bogoro advised governors to invest invest more in basic education since TETFund was cushioning the needs on public tertiary institutions.
He further urged governors in the northern part of the country to address the problem of low school enrolment by providing incentives to pupils.
Earlier, Yari, who is also the Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, said that the purpose of his visit was to express appreciation for the agency’s intervention in ensuring the smooth take-off of Federal University, Gasau.
He said that the forum would collaborate with TETFund in every way possible, to move the tertiary education sub-sector forward.
Yari, however, appealed to TETFund to provide more funds to tertiary institutions as the current economic downturn in the country was affecting them.