The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has stated that ongoing reforms within the agency have eliminated the use of vendors and contractors for academic and professional staff training interventions.
He insisted that vendors and contractors were unnecessary in the content component of TETFund’s interventions, including research and academic and professional staff training.
Hence, the agency now employs Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), which are cost-effective, flexible, and ensure efficiency in service delivery.
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Echono remarked that despite encountering opposition from those vested in the old system, he was pleased that billions of taxpayers’ money had been saved by cutting out middlemen.
He made these comments during an interview with journalists at the 2nd Registrars’ Workshop and 75th Business Meeting of the Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU) in Abuja.
He addressed allegations made by an online publication regarding questionable contracts awarded by TETFund, emphasizing that the fund had acted within its mandate by conducting capacity-building programs in beneficiary institutions through MoUs since 2016.
He clarified that the contract system is reserved for infrastructure projects or when procuring goods, equipment, or consultancy services, not for content-based training programs.
Echono highlighted specific MoUs, such as the one with CAMPUS France, which reduced tuition costs for Nigerian scholars by 20 percent.
He also mentioned the agreement with the Federation of African Research Association (FARA) in Brazil, which expanded to involve 48 institutions and provided free tuition for Nigerian scholars.
Regarding the procurement of blackboards, Echono explained that an MoU with an American company facilitated cheaper purchases, with individual institutions contributing to eliminate costs.
He stressed the importance of negotiating directly with copyright owners to achieve substantial savings.
Echono further distinguished between infrastructure projects, which utilize the contract system, and content-based interventions, which rely on MoUs.
He underscored that MoUs prioritize the interests of students and academics, whereas contracts are profit-oriented. He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to the reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency within TETFund.