“The most successful leader of all is the one who sees another picture
not yet actualised” – Mary Parker Follett.
Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro in his solemn pledge to the visionary and dynamic leadership of our amiable and unique President Muhammadu Buhari said, “I humbly pledge to keep the dream and hope of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) alive as a way of making TETFund the hallmark of a success story in our education sector”. That was Prof Bogoro, Executive Secretary, TETFund, as captured by Aljazerah newspaper in 2015. This is in line with the scripture which says, “He or she that is loyal to his boss, will have generation of men and women loyal to him too as enunciated in the Book of Ecclesiates Chapter 6 verse 5-6).
Recently, Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof Yomi Osinbajo (GCON), as part of the activities marking the 50th convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), commissioned the university’s TETFund-funded Academic Centre as he also delivered a lecture at the convocation titled, “Nigeria Rising: The Path to Prosperity”. The projects include the constructed container building, the University Technology hub, the iconic TETFund-funded Academic Publishing Centre Building, the Faculty of Engineering Lecture Theatre and the remodelled University Medical Centre.
It is Donald McGannon who succinctly stressed that, “Leadership is an action and not a position” and this, the workaholic Prof. Bogoro has displayed when he said “the idea on the UNILAG’s Publishing Centre came out of the challenge of publishing and reading culture in Nigeria. This new academic Publishing Centre has two main components: the visual section of the e-library and the book section. The amiable Executive Secretary said, ‘‘TETfund will continue to provide the software for the relevant disciplines, to make the academic publishing centre a complete package.”
On the quality of projects by the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Bogoro extolled the university for quality project execution. Bogoro commended the university’s management for the quality projects in the university, which include the ultra-modern multi-purpose building with lecture theatres and offices for the staff and students of the university. The 7 in 1 complex which has facilities that include a 1,200 capacity auditorium, 600-capacity lecture theatre, 24 fully furnished theatre and academic staff offices, classroom blocks of eight classes, museum building and a basic medical science building.
As a 21st Century modern day leader with a clear vision and mission in line with the cardinal objectives of the Buhari administration, Bogoro continues to introduce policies that ensure continued support to TETFund-sponsored scholars through to the end of their academic programmes. Recently, the Fund discovered that hundreds of its sponsored scholars in foreign countries may not be able to return to the country with their certificates as expected due to the devaluation of the naira with the implication that most scholars are unable to fully pay their tuition fees and cope with the living expenses, given the level of the devaluation of the naira.
While some scholars have not been able to collect their certificates even after completion due to owed tuition, many others are facing serious hardships in foreign countries as they cannot afford the cost of living in those countries due to lack of funds. Call them stranded scholars! Indeed many of them are stranded in Malaysia, England, South Africa and other parts of the world. The Executive Secretary mandated the Academic Staff Training Department (AST&D) of the Fund to commence an immediate pro rata intervention and resolution of specific cases of genuinely stranded scholars, or those suffering teething problems. This is a great achievement for the nation because if these scholars are allowed to abandon their programmes and return home empty handed, the country would lose hundreds of millions of naira in monetary terms let alone the devastating psychological effect this would have on such scholars.
The reform also includes the review of the maximum sponsorship tenure of three years for doctorate degree programmes to four years period. This singular action taken by the TETFund supremo is in line with the aphorism which says, “The ear of the king must always ring with
the voice of the people” and a biblical injunction which further says “when the righteous man is on the throne the people rejoice.”
Still within the AST&D, Prof Bogoro approved the commencement of monitoring of TETFund-sponsored participants to local and foreign conferences to ensure that staff of beneficiary institutions attend the conferences as approved for them by the Fund. This is very commendable as it will ensure accountability, quality and value for money.
Speaking at an interactive section with Directors of Research in Nigerian Universities at a recent function, Professor Bogoro posited that, the move became necessary in view of the inability of some lecturers to write grant- winning research proposals, stressing further the contribution of TETFund to scholarship programme towards training of lecturers in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The TETFund boss revealed that over 60 per cent of lecturers in the Nigerian university system today are now doctorate degree holders as against 40 percent that was obtainable four years ago. He maintained that universities remain central to creation of knowledge and innovation, urging professors not to reflect on the numbers of publications, but on the impact of research and development. He stressed the importance of building research capacity
for national, socio-economic and technological development, saying categorically that Nigerian universities dwell more on teaching and not on research.
Prof. Bogoro commenting further on research pontificated that “poor research is responsible for low ranking of Nigerian universities.’’ He continued, “All over the world, universities and other higher institutions are positioned to be the bridge between a productive society, knowledge and growth. It is unfortunate that research which remains critical in this respect had been at lower ebb.’’
He, nonetheless, maintained that TETFund would provide N10 million this year to each of its beneficiary institutions for capacity building and academic staff training in the area of research and proposal writing.
As the tireless professor drives TETFund to the Next Level, we pray that he will continue to move from strength to strength and keep on treading on the right path of President Buhari’s
Change Agenda, which is in line with the Latin maxim, salus populi suprema ex-lex (meaning, the good of the people is the supreme law).
Ibrahim writes via [email protected]
