To reduce over-dependence on foreign textbooks and also, to increase those that best suit Nigerian reality, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), set out few years back to receive manuscripts from stakeholders in the academia and publish same for academic staff and students of tertiary institutions.

This was a welcome development considering that majority of books in tertiary institutions were authored by foreigners, and most times, do not capture the essence of Nigerian situation.
  
Realising its import in the development of the country’s education and enhancement of students’ knowledge-base, the current Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, sustained the project and recently, another round of 50 textbooks were unveiled.
 
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Chairman, TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, admitted that one of the primary objectives of the Higher Education Book Development Project, was to reduce overreliance on foreign reading and learning material for public tertiary institutions. He was glad that TETFund has remained a veritable source of assured funding for necessary interventions at the tertiary level of education in the country.

“This was made possible by the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in ensuring that the education sector is always given top priority under his administration.

Represented by the South-West representative on the Board, Sunday Adepoju, the Board Chairman described education as strategic and germane for overall development of any nation, and as such, should be given top priority over other sectors.
  
“In view of this, I wish to assure you that TETFund will continue to deliver responsive intervention programs and will be at the forefront in promoting creative and innovative approaches to learning by championing new literacy enhancing areas.”
  
The Chairman added the Fund has been consistently fulfilling its obligations with integrity, transparency and compliance with federal regulations. This has earned it recognition for robust and imaginative interventions.
 
To enhance teaching, learning and research, Masari disclosed that the Board has introduced new projects focusing on medical simulation, anthology and blackboard as well as alternative energy sources.
  
“I am glad to report that the Fund has consistently been discharging its obligations to its beneficiaries and stakeholders with integrity, transparency and in total compliance with the extant rules and regulations issued from time to time by the federal government. It is in recognition of this fact that most of the stakeholders have adjudged TETFund programmes and activities as the most robust and imaginative intervention. It is the first of its kind in the history of our country.”  
  
He added: “Let me seise this opportunity to inform you that in our effort to better the package of our intervention programmes to achieve desired results of improved teaching, learning and research, the Board of Trustees has introduced more admissible projects particularly in the area of medical simulation, anthology/blackboard and provision of alternative source of energy.

“I wish to reiterate that the education system of a country is very strategic and germane for overall development of any nation. Hence, it should be given top priority over other sectors.”
  
Also speaking, Chairman of the Technical Advisory Group for TETFund on Academic Book Publication an Professional Journal Funding, Professor Albert Abegunde, said the books were all aimed at promoting literacy, preserving reading culture, expanding technology, encouraging entrepreneurship as well as fostering research and innovation to build generations. He noted that the resource books comprised one textbook on Medicine and Pharmacy; 11 on Art, Culture and Literature; two on Law, six on Technology and Engineering; two on Mathematics, seven on Agriculture and Environment, five on Economics and Management, one on Entrepreneurship and Vocational Studies, three on Statistics and Research Methods, seven on Education and General Literacy and one on Security.
  
Prof. Abegunde added that TAG has cleared about 50 more manuscripts for publication, and that TETFund has already sent some of them to publishing houses. In addition, he informed that close to 30 manuscripts would be included to the number in the next TAG meeting. Meanwhile, “same number of manuscripts were undergoing rigorous peer review”, he said.
 
 Responding on behalf of the authors, Prof. Umar Buratai, expressed profound gratitude to the Fund for sponsoring the publication of their academic textbooks.
 The scholar noted that this initiative has not only enhanced the quality of educational materials in Nigerian tertiary institutions but also promoted the authors’ work on a national scale.
  
Prof. Buratai, who was of the department of Theatre and Performing Arts, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, emphasised that the publication of the textbooks was a significant milestone in the development of Nigeria’s education sector. He therefore acknowledged TETFund’s commitment to supporting local authors and improving the country’s educational resources.