Abuja (Nigeria): The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is set to launch a new electric campus transportation scheme across selected tertiary institutions in November, aiming to alleviate the mobility challenges faced by students nationwide.
The Executive Secretary of TETFUND, Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Wednesday when a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by its National Secretary, Comrade Shedrack Anzaku, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Echono said the initiative, which would begin with 12 pilot campuses, was part of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to improve the welfare and learning environment of Nigerian students through innovation and inclusion.
“Students currently face many risks and spend so much time moving around campuses, especially those who live off-campus.
“From next month, we will be launching electric student shuttle services in selected institutions.
“Students themselves will manage the vehicles to ensure accountability and sustainability,” Echono said.
He added that the electric vehicles would have designated charging points on each campus, with minimal costs per ride to ensure affordability.
According to him, the project is part of broader interventions designed to address accommodation, power supply, and learning infrastructure across Nigerian tertiary institutions.
“The President challenged us to improve the conditions under which our students study, from hostels and classrooms to how they commute.
“We are massively investing in student hostels across 72 institutions and will begin commissioning more projects from December,” he added.
Echono also revealed that TETFund was scaling up support for research laboratories, digital learning systems and sustainable power projects to strengthen the quality of higher education and make it globally competitive.
“We are building multi-purpose research laboratories across universities in Kano, Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Abuja, so that Nigerian researchers can conduct world-class research without having to send samples abroad,” he said.
On student welfare, Echono reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of background, has access to quality education and support through the National Student Loan Scheme, now managed by NELFund.
“We are institutionalising funding to make sure every willing Nigerian child gets the opportunity to learn and succeed.
“The government is refocusing the fund to serve the interests of Nigerian students,” he said.
Speaking, NANS National Secretary, Anzaku, lauded the TETFund management for its transformative projects on campuses, noting that the Fund’s interventions have significantly improved infrastructure and learning facilities nationwide.
“Without TETFund, many of the structures we see today in our institutions will not exist. We commend Echono for his visionary leadership and for prioritising the welfare of Nigerian students,” Anzaku said.
He disclosed that the association had passed a vote of confidence on the TETFund boss, describing him as ‘a father and mentor’ who has continued to engage constructively with student leaders to promote peace and progress in the education sector.
Also speaking, the North-Central Coordinator of NANS, Husseini Ebu, applauded TETFund’s impact across institutions, urging the agency to sustain its funding drive to ensure continuity in campus development.
“We have seen your signature across our institutions. The structures you have built have redefined the learning environment.
“We urge you to continue so that the children of the poor can remain on campus and learn in dignity,” he said.
NANS also presented Echono with an award of excellence in recognition of his contributions to educational development and student welfare in Nigeria and passed a vote of confidence on the TETFund management.
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