The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has commissioned a groundbreaking Central Library Complex at Bauchi State University, Gadau (BASUG), marking a pivotal moment in the institution’s academic evolution.
The library, approved under the 2017-2019 merged annual intervention, promises to be a cornerstone of learning, research, and knowledge dissemination within the university’s academic landscape.
During the commissioning of the TETFund-sponsored Central Library Complex at the Gadau campus, the TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echomo, represented by Mr. Olajide Babatunde, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at TETFund, stated that the Central Library Complex cost N1,025,000,000.
He added that BASUG has been a significant TETFund beneficiary, accessing a substantial portion of the allocated N17.34bn since 2012. He stressed that these funds were specifically dedicated to infrastructure development, encompassing annual, special, special high impact, and zonal interventions.
Echomo praised the university’s administration for effectively utilizing the allocated funds, enhancing the institution’s capacity for teaching, research, and community service.
He said, “These projects undertaken have remarkably impacted on the mandate of the university in facilitating teaching, learning, research, and community service.
“The doggedness and focus of the University Management in the face of various debilitating circumstances we have faced collectively as a nation is worth noting and commending as we now see the project ready for formal inauguration and commencement of usage.”
He expressed confidence that the Central Library will become a rich repository for current publications, fostering diverse research endeavors and furthering knowledge acquisition.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Fatima Tahir hailed TETFund’s pivotal role, emphasizing the project’s transformative impact on the university’s future. “TETFund’s unwavering support has ensured exceptional learning experiences for our students,” she remarked, expressing gratitude to the federal government and TETFund for their commitment to education.
In a related development, Hon. Aliyu Bappa Misau, a member of the House of Representatives committee on TETFund, highlighted the National Assembly’s role in endorsing incremental Education Tax (EDT) through the 2021 and 2023 Finance Acts. This increase has led to substantial EDT collections by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), with the aim of enhancing the country’s public tertiary education landscape.
Misau affirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to working with the Executive to elevate educational institutions, positioning them for global competitiveness and contributing to the country’s economic and technological advancement.
