The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has expressed strong support for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund’s (TETFund) planned implementation of the Teaching Practice stipend programme. According to the union, TETFund’s involvement will ensure effective delivery, given its established reputation for transparency and efficiency in managing education-related funding across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by Nigerian students from various Colleges of Education to the COEASU leadership in Abuja on Monday, the union’s President, Dr Smart Olugbeko, praised TETFund’s exceptional performance under the leadership of Arc. Sonny Echono.
He emphasised that the Fund has consistently demonstrated transparency in disbursing substantial amounts annually to beneficiary tertiary institutions nationwide. On the degree-awarding status for Colleges of Education, Olugbeko commended President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the bill that grants degree-awarding status to Colleges of Education and for the President’s positive disposition towards the payment of teaching practice stipends to students and lecturers.
Olugbeko revealed that the Federal Government is working out the implementation details, while TETFund has been identified as a critical stakeholder in the process. “TETFund under the leadership of Arc. Sonny Echono has transformed into a beacon of excellence in public service and the primary source of running public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. We are proud to associate with the Fund.
“We have every confidence that TETFund will bring its characteristic efficiency and transparency to the process of the implementation of the disbursement of the stipends when the time comes,” he said. Olugbeko added that TETFUND is one organisation that is not afraid to invite academic staff unions to be involved in monitoring its activities, unlike many other organisations.
He added that the unions have been able to provide critical feedback to the TETFund, which has reflected in the efficiency of its operations.
