TETFund partners military on research, innovation, technology
31 August 2024 |
3:32 am
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian military have entered into a partnership to leverage each other’s strengths in research, innovation and technological development.
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The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian military have entered into a partnership to leverage each other’s strengths in research, innovation and technological development.
Specifically, both parties underscored the necessity of a collaborative effort between TETFund and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) following President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the DICON Act, which seeks to drive technological innovation in education and stimulate economic growth.
Speaking when he led the management of the Fund on a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, eulogised the Armed Forces under the leadership of the CDS for its selfless services to the nation, even as he commended the military for their commitment to tackling the security challenges in the country as well as protecting educational institutions.
The Armed Forces, he said, has always been supportive of educational establishments in Nigeria, applauding them for providing an enabling environment for education to thrive despite the challenges posed by insecurity in the country.
Echono also expressed the willingness of the Fund to partner with the military and educational establishments, especially in the areas of research, innovation and technological developments. He disclosed that the intervention agency would partner with DICON and other sectors of the economy to achieve national aspirations.
He further eulogised the Armed Forces of Nigeria for being the vanguard of innovations that bring about solutions to critical national issues.
While commending the CDS for the relative peace witnessed in the country so far, he pledged that the agency would sustain its supportive responsibility towards military institutions.
The TETFund boss, while assuring of sustained investments in Nigerian Army institutions, emphasised that the military has been a vital supporter of educational institutions in Nigeria, making significant sacrifices in challenging environments and conflict zones as well as checkmating incidences of militant attacks and kidnapping within institutions of higher learning.
His words: “The military establishment has been so supportive of our educational institutions. And we thank you for your service to our country. We thank you for the huge sacrifice that is being made to ensure that education continues even in times of conflicts, difficult environments
“We also want to commend the fact that we have seen real slow down on the rates of such challenges in the recent past. We are able to ensure that schools run without disruptions and unsavoury incidents of attacks by either militants or kidnappers.
“In the area of research and development, we see it as a major frontier for collaboration; because research into security services and development of our defence industries and being able to service that sector is one area that we can express our national aspirations as a people.”
He expressed the commitment of the Fund to continue to support institutions of the Nigerian Army including the Nigerian Defence Academy, Army University, Biu, among others.
Responding, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) gave the assurance that the Armed Forces would continue its unwavering support to educational developments in the country.
He made a case for partnership between the DICON and TETFund.
On the restrictions on importation of certain calibres of arms and ammunition into the country by the Ministry of Defence, he said it would make Nigeria a major hub of arms production, save our foreign currency and generate employment.
Musa expressed his gratitude for the Fund’s support to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and other Army institutions, stating that it had significantly enhanced their capacity and ability to achieve more.
He emphasised the relevance of education to human capacity development, pointing out that without education, most people would not have been in various important positions they find themselves in today.
Speaking further, he stated that education is pivotal to efficient service delivery in the Armed Forces and appreciated numerous interventions in military institutions by TETFund. He noted that the Armed Forces would continue its unwavering support to educational development in Nigeria.
“What you are doing has enhanced the capacity of the education system. For the Armed Forces, we can only continue to appreciate what you are doing.
“Everywhere we have our men, one of the key areas we told them is to make sure the schools are secure because without that, as a nation, we can’t move forward,” he said.
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