NLTF PLANS SPECIAL INTERVENTION FOR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS – EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/CEO
As part of its mandate on national development goals, the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), is planning special intervention for Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Dr. Bello Maigari, Executive Secretary NLTF, made this known when he received top officials of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) (NIM) in his office in Abuja.
Bello said the agency was aware of the overstretched and deplorable conditions of learning in the country’s tertiary institutions.
“We received a number of requests from our public universities nationwide that they are in dire need of our support.
“In some few Institutions we visited, we noticed the classrooms are overstretched, students are taking lectures sitting on windows.
“Our plan is to see how we can move into that area and provide special intervention.
“Given the fact that currently, ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) are on strike for lack of resources, and agencies like ours can address particular needs of these universities,’’ he said.
Bello noted that though the agency had no capacity to address the entire needs of the universities, he however, said the interventions would go along way in alleviating some of these needs.
“We cannot address the entire needs of our universities, but given the resources we have, we will be able to improve the learning environment.
“Of course, polytechnics are also part of the chain, we equally have colleges of education from where we have been receiving quite a number of requests for intervention,’’ he said.
The Executive Secretary observed that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) was overwhelmed and it was looking outward for augmentation.
He explained that whenever the NLTF received request from a particular higher institution of learning for intervention, the first step by the agency was to dispatch its staff for assessment.
“The assessment is the foundation for validation of those requests to know how we can intervene and provide support, in line with the goals and objectives of these universities,’’ Bello added.
He said so far, the agency had also intervened in more than 40 public primary healthcare centres across the country, and that more of such interventions were ongoing.
He thanked officials of the Institute for the partnership visit, and assured them that the agency staff would join hands with the institute to ensure effective service delivery.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Chukwuma Katchy, Chairman, NIM, North Central Zone, said that the aim of the visit was to unveil the programmes and activities of the institute and its benefits to the agency.
“The Institute is making efforts to increase management knowledge for its members for further skills and competence Development,’’ Katchy said.