The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has inaugurated a seven-man Advisory Committee to drive the establishment and effective utilisation of multipurpose laboratories in tertiary institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The committee, chaired by former Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, was inaugurated on Tuesday in Abuja by TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono.
Echono said the committee has one month to provide strategic guidance on the design, equipment specification, deployment, and sustainable management of the laboratories to ensure maximum impact. He explained that the task includes reviewing and updating equipment lists to reflect rapid technological changes and guard against obsolescence.
“This event is part of the legacies of the present administration to build in this nation a research culture and the supporting infrastructure that will help transform our country from one of consumption to one that produces and competes globally,” Echono stated.
The committee’s terms of reference include recommending cost-effective equipment for phased procurement, assessing management frameworks, and proposing measures for long-term sustainability, including industry collaboration and revenue generation. Echono assured that the laboratories would be equipped with alternative power supply to guarantee round-the-clock research activities.
Responding, Maiyaki expressed gratitude for the confidence reposed in the committee and pledged to deliver within the stipulated timeframe. He noted that the laboratories would be “game-changing” in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical applications, while strengthening Nigeria’s research and innovation capacity.
By Ngozi Nwankwo, Abuja
