TETFUND: STAKEHOLDERS SEEK STRONGER ACADEMIA-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
…Demand Increased Funding for Industry-Based Curriculum
By Ubong Etetor
Beneficiary institutions of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, in the South-South geo-political zone have called on the agency to increase funding for the development of curricula that integrate academia and industry skills to drive technological development in Nigeria.
The stakeholders made the call during the 2026 TETFUND Board of Trustees Town Hall Meeting for the South-South zone held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, recently.
They argued that collaboration with industry operators to streamline industry-based curriculum would help package graduates to meet industry demands and reduce unemployment.
The meeting brought together Vice Chancellors of universities, Rectors of Polytechnics and administrators of tertiary institutions in the region.
Speaking, the stakeholders urged TETFUND to sponsor the training of junior lecturers abroad to drive the proposed industry-based curriculum. They noted that the old curriculum focused too much on classroom work without input from industry experience.
They also frowned at the current level of funds released by TETFUND for curriculum development, saying it was inadequate to drive the desired academia-industry alignment that would impact graduates, institutions and national technological growth.
In a paper presentation titled “From Funding to Impacts: Research, Innovation, Digital Transformation and Human Capital Development”, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Opipi, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Blessing Jaja, lauded TETFUND’s massive infrastructure interventions across tertiary institutions.
Prof. Opipi, however, said human capital development was more sustainable than infrastructure. He called for special training for students on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence, AI, and the use of AI tools for marking scripts.
He also advocated special training for lecturers in specific areas of need, improved salaries, and a better working environment to curb the migration of Nigerian lecturers abroad.
“Again, well-equipped laboratories and quick access to research grants will not only boost the education sector but also improve the quality of education in the country,” he said.
He further called for a robust mechanism to monitor and assess the impact of TETFUND interventions.
Earlier in his opening address, the South-South Representative on the TETFUND Board of Trustees, Hon. Aboh Uduyok, a former member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, commended the institutions for the turnout and listed visible TETFUND projects in the zone.
He appealed for support to enable the Board interpret President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector, noting that the town hall meeting was aimed at strengthening accountability and deepening engagement between TETFUND and beneficiary institutions.
In another paper, “University/Industry Collaboration as Catalyst for National Development”, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Prof. Tonbarapagha Kingdom, called for a total overhaul of tertiary education curriculum to include industrial skills.
He blamed Nigeria’s economic challenges and rising unemployment on insufficient skills content in tertiary curricula.
Also speaking, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ubong Essien, in his keynote address, called for a deliberate curriculum design that incorporates morality and patriotism to shape Nigeria’s education system and social values.
Prof. Essien described TETFUND’s interventions as unprecedented in the history of educational development in Nigeria and urged stakeholders to maximize facilities provided by the agency for desired impact.
