TETFund’s Launches Centers of Excellence in 12 Universities.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has selected twelve Nigerian universities as the pioneer Centres of Excellence to define the path for transformation of Tertiary Institutions.
Speaking at the inauguration of the twelve maiden Centres of Excellence (TCoEs), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, Executive Secretary, TETFund, said the objective was to address a specific national development challenge through the preparation of professionals, applied research and associated outreach activities to partners, especially community services.
Bogoro also disclosed that the board would fund the twelve Centres with a grant of one billion (N1 billion) each for five years to enable them to attain national aspirations.
READ: NECO Data Processing Exam Questions and Answers
He said that two centres were selected from each of the six geopolitical zones in the country as follows; in the north-central, the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) and University of were selected as the Centre of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership and Food Security respectively.
In the Northeast, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi got Centre of Excellence in Food Security, the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) got Centre of Excellence in Arid Zone Research and Development while Northwest has Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUSOK) as Centre of Excellence in Urology and Nephrology and Bayero University, Kano (BUK) as centre for Renewable Energy.
Others are, South-east with the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka as centres in Root Crop Research, Development and Agriculture Transitional Studies respectively. The South-south has the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) as Centres of Excellence in Aquaculture and Food Technology and Computational Intelligence and Multi-Disciplinary Studies respectively, while the South-west has the University of Ibadan (UI) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) with centres of excellence in Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management.
The TETFund boss further revealed that the first batch of the institutions was carefully selected while assuring of the board’s unflinching support towards the realisation of the objectives of the initiative.