TETFund: Shaping Nigeria’s Future Through Centres Of Excellence

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of Nigeria by investing in the development of higher education institutions.

Through its Centres of Excellence, TETFund aims to foster innovation, research, and academic collaboration across various disciplines, elevating the quality of education and research in the country.

These centers equip the next generation with the skills and knowledge needed to drive Nigeria’s growth.

Currently, TETFund has established over 27 Centers of Excellence across Nigerian universities, with a goal to improve the quality of research and academic development in the nation’s higher institutions.

These centers are strategically designed to tackle key national issues, boost technological advancement, and prepare students for a rapidly evolving global landscape. By providing grants and support to universities and polytechnics, TETFund is contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of the country.

The Centres of Excellence encourage a research-driven approach to national challenges, helping universities become more globally competitive in terms of research output.

They also offer advanced training to students, faculty members, and researchers, equipping them with the expertise required to address Nigeria’s challenges.

Additionally, the centers facilitate collaboration between Nigerian universities, international research institutions, businesses, and government agencies.

Beyond supporting academic growth, the Centres of Excellence nurture innovation and entrepreneurship. By focusing on practical and impactful research, these centers help transform ideas into marketable solutions and technologies.

Interdisciplinary is collaboration is also encouraged, allowing scholars from diverse fields to work together to find holistic solutions to complex problems.

TETFund provides substantial funding, infrastructure, and capacity-building support to ensure these centres become hubs of excellence that contribute to Nigeria’s socio-economic development. The centers generate new knowledge, technologies, and innovations that can improve various sectors of the economy and society.

One such centre is the Centre of Excellence in Migration and Global Studies (CEMGS) at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Established in February 2020 with a grant from TETFund, CEMGS is focused on research in migration, addressing both internal and global migration issues.

The center has gained recognition for its pioneering work, hosting monthly seminars and webinars on contemporary migration topics with international speakers.

At a conference in Abuja on Tuesday, stakeholders praised CEMGS’s impact and TETFund’s support.

NOUN’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters, thanked TETFund for its contribution to establishing the centre and called for additional funding to expand its programmes, particularly for postgraduate training in migration studies.

He acknowledged TETFund’s seed funding and recognised the role of Professor Hakeem Ibikune Tijani as the centre’s pioneering director.

“I wish to appreciate TETFund for the award and release of seed fund that was used to set up the Centre of Excellence in Migration and Global Studies (CEMGS) at the National Open University of Nigeria under the Administration of Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu.

“It is evident today that the Centre has grown as among other Centres of Excellence in the country. As part of its pioneering mandate, it is perhaps the only centre in the country that runs monthly seminars, webinars on contemporary migrant issues with speakers from all across the globe.

“Consequently, I want to make a special appeal and request to TETFund to provide additional funds to water the germinating seed of the Centre to enable it professionally and intellectually, fulfil the training and human capacity programmes for enablement of Postgraduate Programmes in the areas of Migration in the country. We shall be grateful if this is granted,” the VC added.

The executive secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono, highlighted the positive aspects of migration, emphasising the potential for Nigeria to harness the intellectual talents of its diaspora.

He pointed out that countries like China and India have benefited from their diaspora communities, who contribute both wealth and knowledge upon their return.

Echono reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to supporting the center’s mission.

The CEMGS at NOUN serves as a critical research platform using ethnographic and arts-based methods to explore migration issues.

Its work informs national policy development, with a focus on Afrocentric perspectives and decolonizing migration studies.

The centre is committed to providing solution-driven research, seeking grants for academic outreach, and organising seminars, conferences, and public lectures.