Godfrey AKON
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has said it is transforming tertiary institutions in the country to produce graduate that can be globally competitive with necessary skills and innovation.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc Sonny Echono, stated this during a visit to INNOVATEHUB in Abuja.
Echono said building an innovative technology solution in institution will not only enable graduate to be self-employed but also provide needed workspace for graduate through expertise.
“So we need to do things creatively, so that we can employ all our youths that are unemployed. We can fast tract the process and also modernize the training programme that we have to bring them in tune to the needs of industry and the work place.
“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 that message across Africa. Africa must become competitive, ultimately we have shown this in various spheres through our scholars, product when they go abroad have been able to show that we have a lot to contribute to the global knowledge and economy.
“Currently, Africa is contributing 0.5 to the global economy that cannot be something we should be proud. We must change the dynamics,” he said.
Echono further stressed the need for collaboration between tertiary institutions and private sectors to groom generations of innovators to place Nigeria on global recognition.
While commending the founder and Managing Director INNOVATEHUB, the TETFUND boss pledge his support to ensure all institutions under TETFUND imbibe to the innovation noting that future graduate should be able to produce not memorise to pass examination.
On his part the founder and managing director INNOVATE HUB, Prof, Gregory Ibe explained that the organization is a focal point for innovation startup incubation, technology transfer and skill impartation.
