The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has cautioned that billions of naira already invested in digital infrastructure across Nigeria’s higher institutions risk being wasted if schools fail to embrace technology in their teaching and administration.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the opening of a two-day workshop on Blackboard/Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) Adoption and Usage, Echono said many universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education still underutilise government-funded digital platforms despite the urgent need to expand access to quality learning.
He explained that with Nigeria’s rapidly growing population and limited classroom space, technology provides the only realistic means to deliver education to millions of young people. “We are no longer confined to the four walls of classrooms. With just an Android phone or device, students should be able to access content, participate in learning, and acquire skills. There is no alternative to technology if we must prepare our youths for the opportunities ahead,” he said.
Echono lamented that equipment and platforms procured with public funds were gathering dust, describing such neglect as wasteful. He recalled TETFund’s intervention during the COVID-19 lockdown, when it collaborated with state governments, the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), and radio stations to broadcast WAEC syllabus-based lessons, a move he said contributed to one of the country’s best WAEC results.
Despite these efforts, Nigeria ranks 189th globally and 25th in Africa in education competitiveness, far behind countries like Rwanda and Mauritius that have leveraged ICT to transform their systems. Echono urged institutional leaders to ensure lecturers and students fully adopt TERAS, a platform designed by TETFund to support teaching, research, and administration.
He added that the agency would gradually channel more than half of its budget into ICT-related projects rather than physical buildings, stressing that universities must populate their websites with data and onboard all staff and students onto TERAS.
Highlighting China as an example of how investment in knowledge can power national growth, Echono expressed frustration that some institutions still submit hardcopy requests to TETFund instead of using digital channels. “The government has done its part by providing the infrastructure. But when platforms are not being used, that is the very definition of waste,” he said.
TETFund’s Director of ICT, Joseph Odo, said the ongoing workshops would be extended to all six geopolitical zones to improve awareness and strengthen collaboration among beneficiary institutions. According to him, the aim is to build a culture of digital adoption that enhances planning, research, and learning outcomes across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
