By Felix Khanoba
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has expressed its readiness to improve on innovative technology solutions in higher education institutions to enable graduates to be self-employed and provide needed workspace through expertise.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, who made this known during a visit to INNOVATEHUB in Abuja, said the Fund is transforming tertiary institutions in the country to produce graduates that can be globally competitive with necessary skills and innovation.
His words : “We need to do things creatively, so that we can employ all our youths that are unemployed. We can fast track the process and also modernize the training programme that we have to bring them in tune to the needs of industry and the workplace.
‘’The message that we are spreading across the ECOWAS is to make sure that Nigeria be the hub for innovation, and then we spread out that message across Africa. Africa must become competitive, ultimately we have shown this in various spheres through our scholars, product when they go abroad have been able to show that we have a lot to contribute to the global knowledge and economy.
‘’Currently, Africa is contributing 0.5percent to the global economy that cannot be something we should be proud. We must change the dynamics. “
Echono further stressed the need for collaboration between tertiary institutions and private sectors to groom generations of innovators to place Nigeria on globa recognition.
While commending the founder and Managing Director of InnovateHub, Professor Gregory Ibe, the TETFund boss assured the readiness of all its beneficiary institutions to embrace innovative skills.
On his part, Prof. Ibe explained that the organization is a focal point for innovation startup incubation ,technology transfer and skill impartation.
He said it would help train professors in tertiary institutions, through different programmes and initiatives to bring together brilliants mind and gifted hands from across board.
