Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has sought the support of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to strengthen infrastructure in tertiary institutions in the state.
Adeleke who made the call during a courtesy visit to the executive secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, commended the fund on its role in giving tertiary education a face.
He said hardly would there be any development in tertiary institutions that would not be traceable to TETFund.
“Let me first commend TETFund for the great job it is doing across Nigeria. There is no institution that you will not see TETFund’s presence, so any right thinking governor must commend their work so they can do more.
“In Osun State, We are enjoying TETFund in the area of infrastructure.
I am here for support from TETFund for Osun State and to come and ask for more because we still need a lot of support because our education has really dropped.
“And maybe it is because I have not come to see you that is why we have not paid attention to Osun State and that is why I am here. You are doing a great job and you must continue,” he said.
Responding, Echono said tertiary education plays a special role in the affairs and even the destiny of any country.
He said this was because tertiary education is where the greatest level of production, creativity and the greatest impact happen, especially in terms of new ideas, new product and services, and better ways of doing things.
He said adequate attention however must be placed on tertiary education because innovations, creativity and enterprises were usually at its highest level.
“We believe strongly that tertiary education plays a special role in the affairs and even the destiny of any country because that is the level where greatest level of production, creativity and the greatest impact happens.
“Whether it is in terms of new ideas, in terms of new product and services, in terms of better ways of doing things, it is at that level that innovation is at its highest, that creativity and enterprises are at its highest.
“And it is that body of knowledge of expertise that service the various sectors of every economy whether it’s health, media in any field.
“So if we get our tertiary education right, we can even export that to other African countries and indeed other parts of the world because Nigerians are known and we are endowed by God-very intelligent and hardworking people,” he said .
He commended the state governor for paying attention to education while also underlying how important to lay a solid foundation so that collectively the country could be developed.
