NDA receives N7.9bn as grants in 19 years — TETFund

The Tertiary Education Fund (TETFund) says it released N7.9 billion to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) between 1999 and 2017 as grants.

Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, the executive secretary of the fund, disclosed this on Monday when the Chief of Army, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, paid him a courtesy visit.

Baffa said that from the amount so far released, the NDA had completed “some 36 physical infrastructure projects,” while four projects were ongoing.

He added that there were 12 projects that had been approved but are yet to commence in the institution.

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According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the executive secretary also said that other military institutions had benefited from the grants, adding that those physical infrastructure projects were aside scholarships given to lecturers for further studies.

Earlier, Buratai said the need for the army to have a unique institution that would serve as a solution centre informed the establishment of its university in Biu, Borno State.

Such institution, he said, would serve as solution centre in science and technology to boost capacity and innovation regarding equipment needed by the military, particularly the Nigerian army.

“These days, you cannot just fight in the conventional way; warfare has transformed greatly and requires more scientific approach, more intellectual approach than it used to be.

“We need to have such university that will tailor our needs in a specific innovative way, as well as (serve as) solution centre in science and technology.

“This will go a long way in developing our country; developing the technological and indeed the scientific base of our country by which we will develop and progress in the right direction,” he said.

Buratai commended the TETFund, saying that the vision behind its establishment was by no means a great one.

According to him, TETFund has transformed the education landscape of Nigeria.