By Nkechi Eze
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has reinforced its reputation as a major driver of infrastructure and academic development in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, commissioning eight landmark projects at the Federal College of Education, Iwo, Osun State, in a milestone event that coincided with the institution’s maiden convocation ceremony.
The projects, described as iconic and transformative, include the College Administrative Building, Academic Building, Early Grade Reading Resource Centre, ICT Centre, Multi-Media Micro Teaching Laboratory, School of Sciences Building, Science Laboratory Building, and School of Languages Building.
Some of the facilities were named in honour of prominent education administrators, including the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, both of whom attended the historic ceremony in recognition of their enduring contributions to the advancement of education in Nigeria.
Speaking during the commissioning, the member representing the South-West geopolitical zone on the TETFund Board of Trustees, Hon. Sunday Adepoju, commended the management of the College for successfully executing the projects and ensuring their timely delivery. He also praised the decision to immortalise Prof. Oloyede and Prof. Okwelle through the naming of some of the structures, describing the gesture as a fitting tribute to their remarkable roles in strengthening Nigeria’s education system.
Adepoju assured that the TETFund Board of Trustees would remain steadfast in its commitment to promoting quality educational delivery across all beneficiary institutions, stressing that the Fund would continue to prioritise interventions that enhance infrastructure, learning environments, and academic excellence nationwide.
In a further demonstration of appreciation, the College conferred an Institutional Merit Award on TETFund in recognition of its sustained intervention and transformative impact on public tertiary institutions across the country.
Presenting the award, the Provost of the College, Prof. Rafiu Adebayo, in a citation letter addressed to TETFund, described the agency’s contributions as visionary and indispensable to the growth of higher education in Nigeria.
“This award is being conferred on TETFund as an agency in recognition of its outstanding interventions, visionary funding framework, and sustained contributions to the growth, infrastructure development, staff capacity building, and academic advancement of tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” the letter stated.
He added that the Fund’s support had played a pivotal role in the development and transformation of the Federal College of Education, Iwo, as well as numerous other institutions across the country.
“The impact of TETFund’s support has been instrumental to the development and transformation of our College and many others nationwide,” the Provost said.
The commissioning of the projects and conferment of the merit award highlighted the critical role of TETFund in expanding access to quality infrastructure, strengthening teaching and research capacity, and repositioning Nigeria’s tertiary education sector for sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
