Tinubu’s TETFund Support Sustaining Nigeria’s Tertiary Education — Kogi Poly Rector

The Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Prof. Salihu Sanusi Avidime, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sustaining tertiary education in Nigeria through increased commitment to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Avidime said TETFund’s consistent interventions had played a critical role in the development of tertiary institutions across the country, particularly in infrastructure, teaching facilities and other areas of institutional development.

The rector spoke at the weekend when a member of the TETFund Board of Trustees representing the North Central zone, Dr Abdulrahman Hassan Ocholi, paid his first official visit to the Polytechnic.

Avidime described Ocholi’s appointment by President Tinubu as a recognition of competence and a demonstration of the administration’s confidence in young and capable Nigerians.

He also commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for supporting and promoting young professionals, saying Ocholi’s appointment reflected the commitment of both the federal and state governments to harnessing the potential of young Nigerians.

The rector appealed to the TETFund board member to use his office to attract more interventions to the Polytechnic, particularly for critical infrastructure, completion of ongoing projects and provision of modern teaching and learning facilities.

He assured that any intervention secured for the institution would be judiciously utilised, stressing that the Polytechnic remained strategically positioned to produce skilled manpower and contribute to the socio-economic development of Kogi State.

Responding, Ocholi thanked the Polytechnic management for the warm reception, describing Avidime as a distinguished professor and seasoned administrator.

He said his visit was aimed at familiarising himself with the institution, identifying challenges affecting critical projects, inspecting projects that had exceeded their completion cycles and assessing projects ready for commissioning.

Ocholi, who was accompanied by professionals and other personalities from the education and professional sectors, said the team would inspect distressed projects with a view to facilitating their completion within the shortest possible time.

He described TETFund as critical to the development of tertiary education in Nigeria, saying the impact recorded by universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions would have been difficult to achieve without the fund’s interventions.

The TETFund board member commended President Tinubu for prioritising education, saying, “The President deserves profound respect and a loud ovation for his unrelenting support for the continued growth of education in Nigeria through TETFund.”

He also praised Governor Ododo for his support for young professionals and for identifying and promoting competent individuals for public service.

Ocholi further commended the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sunday Sylva Togo Echono, OON, describing him as an exceptional administrator whose intellect, commitment and attention to excellence had strengthened the impact of the fund on tertiary education.

He pledged to strengthen collaboration between TETFund and Kogi State Polytechnic, promising to contribute to raising the standard of education and infrastructure in the state.

In his goodwill message, the Director of Works and Services of the Polytechnic, Engr. Siyaka Michael Onumoh, commended Ocholi for his commitment to the institution’s infrastructural development.

He said the visit and the board member’s willingness to collaborate with the Polytechnic offered an opportunity to address some of its critical developmental needs.

Similarly, the newly appointed Rector of the Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute (NKFI), Dr Onumoh Ahmed Yahaya, commended Ocholi’s initiative and appealed for greater institutional support for the institute.

Yahaya noted that the growing number of Nigerian students studying in South Korea was evidence of the fruitful relationship between both countries, stressing the need to strengthen the partnership and expand opportunities for more students.

He appealed for the consideration of NKFI for integration and support to enable it to effectively deliver on its mandate.

Responding, Ocholi advised the institute to formally present its request to the TETFund Board for consideration, assuring that opportunities for collaboration and institutional development remained open.

The visit ended with both parties expressing commitment to deeper collaboration and stronger institutional support for tertiary education, infrastructure and human capital development in Kogi State.