TETfund set to build new hostels across 36 higher institutions
The Federal Government has began the process of constructing a state-of-the-art hostels in 36 higher institutions across the country for the year 2024.
The government also indicated its willingness to construct more hostel accommodations once the first set was completed.
The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, stated this on Tuesday when he hosted the new leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students led by its President, Lucky Emonefe.
A statement signed on Wednesday by TETFund’s Director of Public Affairs, AbdulMumin Oniyangi, said that NANS called for the maintenance of TETFund projects in beneficiary institutions across the country and the construction of NANS secretariat in Abuja.
Echono pointed out that there was an increased allocation for maintenance of TETFund infrastructures above five years in the 2024 intervention cycle.
While responding to the NANS secretariat’s request, the agency boss promised to look into it and get the buy-in of the Ministry of Education.
He also disclosed that the intervention agency would work out modalities to incorporate the student body for joint monitoring of projects across beneficiary institutions.
“As I speak, this year, we shall be providing hostels for students in 36 tertiary institutions across the country because we realize that part of the places where our students live are so deplorable. Only about 15 per cent of our students are staying on campus. Many of them are living outside campus, and some of them can’t even come back for evening lectures because of the cost and the trouble of walking all the way and coming back. There is also the security situation in their areas.
“So, we have the policy to ensure that as much as possible, we will do the minimum of 50 to 60 per cent of our students to live on campus and provide those hostels. Those hostels will not be matchboxes and shanties. They will be solid buildings that can attract other students from anywhere in the world to compare with what other people enjoy when they leave Nigeria” he said.
Echono congratulated NANS on its successful election even as he applauded the body for its constructive engagements on issues.
“We will continue to support NANS and partner with them because there is no doubt that in any policy, programme, or project that you want to do in the education sector, students must be at the centre of it. Higher institutions exist because of students,” he stated.
Earlier, NANS President, Emonefe, said the visit was to formally introduce the new leadership of the association to TETFund management as well as work out areas of collaboration.
Citing the increase in TETFund’s 2024 budget and the new Students’ Loan Bill before the National Assembly, the NANS President applauded President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the upliftment of education in Nigeria.
He said, “On our part, we are going to monitor, supervise, and protect the educational infrastructures to complement the efforts of Mr President and TETFund.”
Source: Punchng
