From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has pledged to support any cause that will help tertiary institutions in the country to produce graduates that can be globally competitive with the necessary skills and innovation.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stated this during a visit to INNOVATEHUB, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He stated that building an innovative technology solution in the institution will not only enable graduates to be self-employed but also provide needed workspace for graduates through expertise.
He said: “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 with 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 the message across Africa. Africa must become competitive, ultimately we have shown this in various spheres through our scholars who make exploits and contribute to the global knowledge and economy.
‘’Currently, Africa is contributing 0.5 to the global economy. That’s not something we should be proud of. 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 global recognition.
He commended the founder and Managing Director INNOVATEHUB, Prof. Gregory Ibe, and pledged his support to ensure all institutions under TETFund key into the innovation, noting that future graduates should be able to produce not memorise to pass examinations.
On his part the founder, Prof. Ibe explained that the organization is a focal point for innovation start-ups incubation, technology transfer and skill acquisition.
He said it will help trained professors in tertiary institutions, through different programmes, and initiatives to bring together brilliants mind and gifted hands from across the board.
