Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Government of the Republic of Gambia, has announced plans to undertake a study tour of Nigeria’s foremost intervention agency, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Gambia’s Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), Pierre Gomez, made this known when he led a high-powered delegation to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja.
This was contained in a statement by the Director, Public Affairs of TETFund, Abdulmumin Oniyangi.
Speaking during the visit, the Gambian education minister stated that the purpose of the visit was to inform the Executive Secretary about the establishment of Gambia’s Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund, a replica of Nigeria’s TETFund, and to seek the Fund’s assistance and cooperation during a study tour that would be embarked upon in Nigeria by officials of TETFUND soon.
He revealed that the Gambian authorities had over the years carefully followed the activities and achievements of TETFund on the Fund’s website, its social media handles and other media platforms, and found it necessary to establish a similar agency in order to support higher institutions in the country.
Gomez emphasised the need for effective collaboration between both agencies, specifically in the areas of research and capacity development, noting that it would further strengthen diplomatic ties between Nigeria and Gambia, particularly as neighbours in the West African region.
Welcoming the team to Nigeria, Echono, expressed appreciation to the Gambian education minister and his entourage for the visit.
He gave a brief account of the history of TETFund, noting that its status had over time transformed from when it was originally established as the Education Trust Fund (ETF).
He informed the delegation that the establishment of TETFund arose from a critical crisis that faced the tertiary education sector over three decades ago, which necessitated the federal government and other critical stakeholders coming up with an alternative source of funding for the institutions.