“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government”. That is the words of Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826), one of the founding fathers of America, a statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect and a great philosopher who was President of the United States of America from 1801 to 1809.
President Muhammadu Buhari is a leader who believes that education is a legacy that must be _bequeathed_ to the coming generations and those yet unborn hence his approval of the sum of N5 billion for TETfund’s National Research Fund (TETfund-NRF) to boost research in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. The President in his wisdom and as a leader who attaches importance to education approved the sum at a time virtually all nations of the world have closed their borders to business transactions including executive orders stopping the export of live-saving medical equipment and commodities.
Appreciating the kind gesture of Mr President for his proactiveness, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro, said the unprecedented approval of the N5 billion for the 2019 TETfund-NRF was a right step in the right direction which could not have come at _a better_ time to scale up the funding of the NRF. The Presidential approval was initiated through the recommendation of TETFund’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and the endorsement of the Honorable Minister of Education Adamu Adamu, which is a further testimony that President Muhammadu Buhari bringing on board seasoned technocrats as members of TETfund’s BoT to add value to the system is a feat that is highly commendable and legendary.
The president while also not relenting in the pursuit of excellence in Nigerian ivory towers approved the establishment of TETfund Centres of Excellence. The approval not only signifies a major paradigm shift in favour of Research and Excellence in our universities but also a demonstration that the federal government under the dynamic leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has decided to directly establish Centres of Excellence besides the ones funded by the World Bank; the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE). And according to TETfund’s Director of Projects, Alhaji Buhari Mikailu (FNIQS), the focus areas of the Centres of Excellence in line with contemporary practice and technologies are mainly in science-based disciplines.
In response to the TETfund-sponsored Research and Training Centres in Colleges of Medicine published by The Nation newspapers on May 22, 2020, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu commended the initiatives of TETfund board members in providing a special research grant window towards the treatment of or development of a Vaccine against Covid-19 pandemic. The minister assured TETfund that the Federal Government will continue to support relevant research aimed at addressing national challenges and needs.
Responding to President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts against the Covid 19 pandemic through its Executive Secretary Professor Suleiman Bogoro, TETfund made it clear that it has recommended the provision of modern medical stimulation equipment in six Colleges of Medicine aimed at reversing avoidable medical tourism by Nigerians which has led to capital flight at the detriment of the nation.
In line with the clarion call for Nigeria to look inward for possible cure for Covid-19 pandemic, President Buhari approved the immediate funding of Six Medical Stimulation, Research and Training facilities in Six Colleges of Medicine through TETfund with facilities _for_ molecular _biology_ Science laboratories with Capacity for testing and _diagnosis_ of Covid 19, Lassa fever and _other_ related viral diseases.
The team spirit of other members of TETfund staff supporting various reforms and revolutionary initiatives of Prof Bogoro is worthy of emulation by those committed to nation building. As posited by Dr Mike Murdock, “In every team work, it is not the role that matters but the goal to be achieved.”
In this regard, President Muhammed Buhari has shown African leaders the way on Research and Development as in the words of foremost Pan Africanist, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, “When you show the people the way, they will follow.”
It is therefore suggested for TETfund to go _the_ extra mile in collaborating with other African universities on research and how to curb future health challenges and other myriads of problems facing the continent of Africa.
Setting up the first continental institute of research in Africa will not be a bad idea as in the words of Cecil Walter, “Education relations make the strongest tie.”
Fatai writes via [email protected]
