Emmanuel Abraham, the chairman of Topfaith University, Mkpatak in Akwa Ibom State’s Essien Udim Local Government Area, has urged the federal government to give private colleges consideration for funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
He asserted that this kind of inclusion would stimulate research at private universities, which would further Nigeria’s technical development. Abraham stated as much when speaking with reporters.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday at his office in Mkpatak, Essien Udim, Akwa Ibom State, the Chairman stated that if the government is genuinely concerned in proper human resource development, it must promote private initiative in research.
He lamented that the government’s propensity to exclude private colleges from TETFund subsidies was not optimal for the country’s technological and national development.
According to him, “Universities are utilized as research centers in many parts of the world on important national infrastructure, assets, social, scientific, or other issues.”
“If this occurs, the TETFund may be able to select a few private universities based on their areas of expertise and provide funding for any project so that they can make specific contributions to the development of the country.”
“If government is interested in proper human resource development, it is also proper that government can choose to support private initiatives specifically with concrete assessment indices in such a way that government can include private universities in the budget of TETFund.
“Each private university that meets certain criteria to build laboratories. In marts of the world, universities are used as research centres in critical national infrastructure, asset and issues in both social and scientific areas and otherwise.
“For me, I will recommend that government should not shut out private universities when it comes to research funding and other support facilities from government agencies as TETFund.”
Abraham explained that he was not advocating for dependency of private university system on government funding but on national conscious angle where the nation will want to invest in knowledge as such investments should not be selective.
“TETFund and National University Commission (NUC) know the capacity of each each university. This can form the basis for these institutions to be selected for TETFund grants specifically on research.”
“TETFund can say Topfaith University, since you are located in the area where palm oil production is the in-thing, we can give you a laboratory to research into oil palm production through your Biotechnology program of your university,” Abraham revealed, adding that Topfaith University is situated in an area with a lot of oil palm plantations and can be considered for research in such an area.
We are now doing extensive study on the production of oil palm. As part of our entrepreneurial curriculum, we have a palm seedlings multiplication center to introduce our students to the production process of palm oil.There are plenty of oil palm trees in this area. Oil palm production needs to advance to a level of science and technology, as well as digital education and technological expertise. It needs to go through studies.
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