How TETFund Is Transforming Academic Publishing In Nigeria

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has continued to expand its interventions in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, with investments in research, infrastructure, technology and academic development.

Its recent commissioning of an Academic Publishing Centre (APC) at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, is another effort aimed at strengthening the capacity of Nigerian institutions to produce academic textbooks and scholarly publications locally.

The centre, designed to serve as a regional publishing hub for higher institutions in the South-East, is expected to provide modern printing facilities and professional publishing services to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the zone.

For many years, the production and publication of academic materials have remained significant challenges for Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Researchers and lecturers often face difficulties in converting their research findings into textbooks and other scholarly publications because of limited access to publishing facilities, high production costs and inadequate institutional support.

The establishment of the centre is expected to address some of these challenges by providing a common platform where academic materials can be produced, processed and published within the country.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Chairman of TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, represented by the South-East member of the Board, Esther Ukachukwu, said the project reflected the Fund’s commitment to improving teaching, learning and research through targeted interventions.

Masari stated that the Higher Education Book Development Project was introduced to expand access to quality academic publications and strengthen indigenous publishing capacity in Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.

He disclosed that the Board of Trustees submitted a proposal to the Federal Government for N2 billion in 2009 to commence the project, which was subsequently approved.

According to him, an additional N2.95 billion was provided in 2019, while the Technical Advisory Group Committee was reinvigorated and inaugurated in August of the same year to strengthen the implementation of the initiative.

He said one of the major objectives of the project was to establish and equip model Academic Publishing Centres in selected institutions across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.

The centres were also designed to provide publishing services to public tertiary institutions within their respective regions, ensuring that institutions without adequate publishing facilities could benefit from the intervention.

The UNIZIK centre is expected to serve this purpose in the South-East by providing facilities for the production of academic textbooks and other scholarly materials from institutions across the zone.

Masari said education remained a strategic sector that required sustained investment, adding that TETFund would continue to introduce interventions that promote innovation, improve learning outcomes and strengthen research development.

He said, “TETFund will continue to deliver responsive intervention programmes and will be at the forefront in promoting creative and innovative approaches to educational learning and championing new literacy enhancing areas.”

However, the TETFund chairman emphasised that the successful establishment of the centre would depend largely on its effective management and utilisation by the host institution and other beneficiary institutions.

He urged UNIZIK and other tertiary institutions in the South-East to ensure that the facility became fully operational and was properly maintained to achieve its intended objectives.

“It is the expectation of the Fund and that of the Federal Government that the beneficiaries will reciprocate this gesture by ensuring that the APC located in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, is put into operation, properly managed and sustained by the host and beneficiary institutions within the zone,” he said.

He also called for the cooperation of relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful take-off of the centre, assuring that the Fund would remain committed to transparency and accountability in the discharge of its responsibilities.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Chairman of the Academic Publishing Centre Board, Prof. Bond Ugochukwu Stanley Anyaehie, described the commissioning as an important milestone for the institution and the wider academic community.

He said the university was committed to ensuring that the centre became operational and served the purpose for which it was established.

Anyaehie expressed optimism that the facility would provide opportunities for collaboration among universities in the region, particularly in the areas of academic publishing and research development.

He pledged the institution’s commitment to working with other universities to develop an effective management structure for the centre.

“So, on my honour, I pledge to make use of it, and try to operate the board and also getting input from other universities to see how we can run it, and do all we can do to protect it,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor also appreciated TETFund for locating the project at the university and appealed for additional interventions to support UNIZIK and other tertiary institutions in the South-East.

An inspection of the centre’s facilities formed part of the commissioning ceremony. The inspection provided an opportunity for stakeholders to assess the modern printing machines and other equipment installed to support academic publishing, while personnel were also seen on duty, indicating preparations for the commencement of operations.

Apart from the physical facilities, the importance of the centre lies in its potential to improve access to academic publishing services and encourage more lecturers and researchers to convert their research findings into publications.

With the availability of modern printing equipment and professional publishing services, institutions in the region are expected to reduce their dependence on external publishing companies and improve the accessibility of locally produced academic materials.

The intervention could also support the development of indigenous publishing capacity, improve the circulation of Nigerian-authored textbooks and provide a platform for research findings from local institutions to reach a wider academic audience.

The project is part of TETFund’s broader intervention strategy, which covers infrastructure development, research support, academic staff development, digital learning and the provision of specialised facilities across public tertiary institutions.

In recent months, the Fund has commissioned several projects across the country, showing the range of its interventions beyond academic publishing.

At the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, recently commissioned a TETFund-sponsored ICT Experience Centre alongside other facilities, including a Students’ Examination Hall and a Chemical Engineering Complex.

The ICT centre is part of a N6 billion intervention to establish experience centres across the six geopolitical zones. It is designed to provide practical training in digital literacy, software development, data science, multimedia, online learning, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Similarly, at Kwara State University, Malete, the First Lady commissioned another ICT Experience Centre under the TETFund/Renewed Hope Initiative. The facility is expected to strengthen digital skills development and provide students with access to technology-driven learning opportunities.

Other zonal ICT Experience Centres have also been commissioned at Ekiti State University and the University of Cross River State as part of the nationwide initiative.

In another intervention, TETFund commissioned five projects valued at N1.06 billion at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu. The projects included an International Conference Centre, Mass Communication Complex, General Studies Complex, Chemical Engineering Faculty and TETFund Zonal projects.

The Fund has also continued to support specialised institutions. At the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State, it commissioned projects valued at N7 billion to strengthen the institution’s infrastructure and capacity for health sciences education.

Similarly, five projects valued at N1.72 billion were commissioned at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, while the Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit, benefited from an administrative building and ICT centre valued at N1.39 billion.

At the Federal College of Education, Iwo, Osun State, TETFund also commissioned an administrative building and seven other projects, while the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State, recently benefited from 13 projects aimed at strengthening medical education, research and healthcare delivery.

These interventions demonstrate the Fund’s approach to addressing different infrastructure and academic needs across Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.