Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) will in November inaugurate a new electric campus transportation scheme across selected tertiary institutions to ease the mobility challenges faced by students nationwide.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by its National Secretary, Shedrack Anzaku.
Echono said the initiative will begin with 12 pilot campuses to improve the welfare and learning environment of Nigerian students through innovation and inclusion.
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He explained that the electric vehicles will 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.
“From next month, we will be launching electric student shuttle services in selected institutions. The vehicles will be managed by students themselves to ensure accountability and sustainability,” Echono said.
“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 said.
Echono also revealed that TETFund is 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 added.
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,” he said.
He added that government is refocusing the fund to serve the interest of Nigerian students.
Also speaking, NANS National Secretary, Shedrack 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 would not exist. We commend Arc. 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 continues to engage constructively with student leaders to promote peace and progress in the education sector.
