Mr Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of the postsecondary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has stated that the Fund will act this year to alleviate the excessive energy costs that are almost strangling teaching and learning at the country’s postsecondary institutions. He explained that the intervention is intended to supplement the federal government’s plans to install solar energy panels in some higher education institutions.
Some public universities, such as the University of Lagos, the University of Ibadan, and Ahmadu Bello University, are hit with monthly power bills of more than N300 million due to their classification as Band A consumers by electrical distribution corporations. Echono announced this in Lagos over the weekend, where TETFund received the New Telegraph Newspaper’s award for the Most Improved Government Agency in 2024.
The TETFund’s CEO expressed confidence that 2025 would be a successful year for the agency, as it builds on recent accomplishments and moves into a new level of intervention efforts. “The award is dedicated to Mr. President and the Minister of Education, who have been pushing us to ensure the prudent use of allotted resources, as well as the prudent use of resources granted to our beneficiary institutions. “We believe that 2025 will be our most successful year of intervention because we will tailor our interventions to the needs of our beneficiary institutions.” We’re focussing on stuff like power.
We understand that the majority of our beneficiary institutions are struggling to pay their energy costs, and we will capitalise on the federal government’s decision to offer solar power to a handful of public tertiary institutions. The role of energy in running the institutions cannot be overstated. “We will also improve conditions for teaching and learning.
We will increase dormitory circumstances, as well as our lecturers’ research efforts and capacity. We will ensure that our research facilities are of the highest quality and that no research samples are sent overseas again. “We will continue efforts to improve the capacities of our institutions to become centres of excellence and thereby improve their global rankings and also make our students to be globally competitive,” he further added.
When asked if the agency is not being overburdened by the government’s ongoing development of higher education institutions, Echono dismissed concerns about being overrun. “The more, the merrier. We have a rapidly growing population and a huge need for higher education. In a situation where over two million individuals seek admission to tertiary colleges each year and 600,000 to 700,000 are admitted, we still need more higher education institutions. People are paying their taxes, and we have increased our resources. We are on track because we are making the best use of the resources we have. “We welcome new challenges and are prepared to carry out our mandate,” he assured.
