By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Arch. Sonny Echono, has disclosed plans to build student hostels on 36 campuses across the country this year.
Echono who disclosed this when the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday, said the Fund had realised that where many students live is deplorable.
He said only about 15 per cent of students have hostel accommodation while others stay off campus amidst insecurity in the country.
“Many of our students are living outside campus, climbing okada (motorcycles) many times during the rain. Some of them can’t even come back for evening lectures because when you look at the cost and the trouble of walking all the way and coming back, then you don’t know about the security situation in the areas where they are forced to live,” he said.
TheTETFund boss said the plan was to build state-of-the-art hostels that will attract students from all over the world.
Echono also hinted that the Fund was working to provide ICT projects that will provide free internet for students in both public and private tertiary institutions across the country.
He appreciated NANS for the level of support and maturity they had shown in advancing the interest of Nigerian students through constructive engagements.
The executive secretary said while there were misconceptions that the focus of TETFund is on schools, infrastructure and lecturers, the students were the real focus.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to support NANS, we Will partner with NANS because there is no doubt that any policy or project that you want to do in education sector, students must be at the centre of it.
“I can tell you that Mr. President, immediately I assume office last year, also gave us a charge that we should begin to focus also on the students in not just words but in deeds,” he said.
Earlier, the president of NANS, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, assured the Fund of the support of Nigerian students as it strive to ensure that education infrastructure is in place to compete with other nations.
“We are not going to relent, we are going to complement your efforts to ensure that these gigantic projects that TETFund is putting in our institutions are monitored, supervised and protected by NANS,” he said.
