Resource for students: Echono pledges TETFund’s support for foreign policy journal

The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has extolled the invaluable contributions of Nigerian diplomats to policy formulation and curriculum development for careers in Diplomacy and International Relations.

The Executive Secretary who is always excited at actions geared towards academic development and enhancement of both teaching and learning across tertiary institutions, has also pledged the Fund’s support for foreign policy journals.

Echono spoke earlier in the week at the 2024 Annual Foreign Policy Lecture organised by the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN).

While commending members of the association for their service to the country and contributions to the development of education through the foreign policy journal, he stated that given the rich content of the annual publication, copies would be made available in all libraries of TETFund beneficiary institutions that offer courses in International Relations and other related fields for the benefit of their students.

He said: “I am particularly glad that ARCAN extended the gesture of inviting us to be part of this event; and to underline our collaboration in ensuring that every department of International Relations, Political Science and all students aspiring to make a career in Diplomacy or Foreign Service have access to quality journals and publications.

“That is why through TETFund’s Journal Intervention, we are going to ensure that every institution gets copies of this journal and subscribes to it.” Beyond this gesture, he assured that digital copies of the journal would be made accessible to users on TETFund’s Tertiary Education Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) platform.

No doubt, Echono’s gesture towards ARCAN’s publications reflected his commitment to promoting education and research in Nigeria. Some of the Fund’s interventions in beneficiary institutions under his leadership include capacity building for academic staff, fostering research excellence in public tertiary institutions as well as providing resources for library development.

By making the foreign policy journal available to students, TETFund aimed to enhance their understanding of diplomacy and international relations, ultimately contributing to enhanced foreign policy knowledge base.

This hinges on the content, which offers valuable insights, analysis and perspectives on global issues, trends and dynamics in international relations. This, he believed, will help in deepening understanding of foreign policy issues, concepts and theories while provide analysis and expert opinions that will serve as resource for students.

The Guest Speaker at the event was the President, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, who spoke on the theme of the event “Consolidating Democracy and Integration in ECOWAS: The Journey So Far” with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar as Chairman.

Also, in his pursuit for transparency accountability, the E.S has initiated a collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) towards ensuring judicious utilization of intervention funds by beneficiary institutions.

The collaboration between the agencies was sealed when the Fund’s management went on a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Ola Olukoyede, in his office.

Echono had stated that the visit was to show TETFund’s approval of the Commission’s efforts, particularly in ensuring that Education Tax entrusted to the Fund to improve the education landscape of the country is judiciously and prudently utilized.

He noted that to combat financial infractions, the Fund had in the past, taken some preventive measures such as collaboration with the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) to educate heads of beneficiary institutions on procurement processes. He therefore solicited a similar engagement between EFCC and the Fund’s beneficiary institutions.

While identifying contract system improvement as an area of focus with the EFCC, Echono expressed hope that the visit will send a strong signal to beneficiary institutions and their contractors on the need for probity and judicious utilization of taxpayers’ money.

The EFCC boss, Olukoyede, was impressed about the visit and he pledged to create awareness that the agencies’ collaboration.

He said: “When people become aware that we are working together, it will send a signal across to those who want to cut corners or play smart.”

He urged the E.S to continue to exhibit probity and accountability in the discharge of his duties considering the degree of trust has been placed on his shoulders.

“Trust is a burden, a big one indeed, particularly when you are ready to be focused and do the right thing. There will be distractions here and there, especially in the environment where people are used to cutting corners. But the onus is on us to do the right thing”, Olukoyede said.