The Federal Government has said its investment in tertiary education through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is aimed at unlocking the vast agricultural, mineral, energy and economic potential of the North Central region.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this on Thursday in Lokoja, Kogi State, at the 2026 TETFund North Central Zonal Town Hall Meeting.
Idris said universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the region must align their programmes with the development needs of the area and equip graduates with skills relevant to agriculture, mining, manufacturing, technology and other sectors.
“Our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education must therefore be closely connected to these opportunities, producing the scientists, engineers, agricultural experts, technicians and entrepreneurs required to unlock the vast potential of the North Central,” he said.
He said the Federal Government’s commitment was reflected in the 2026 TETFund intervention, with approximately ₦2.53 billion allocated to each public university, ₦1.87 billion to each polytechnic and ₦2.06 billion to each college of education.
“These are not simply budgetary figures. They represent laboratories that can be equipped, lecture halls that can be built, libraries that can be modernised, research that can be supported and students who can learn in better environments,” Idris said.
The Minister stressed the need for stronger partnerships between tertiary institutions and industry, noting that institutions must go beyond producing graduates to driving research, innovation and job creation.
He also highlighted the role of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), technical and vocational education, digital skills and entrepreneurship programmes in expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.
“Education is therefore not only an economic investment; it is an investment in national security and social stability,” he said.
Idris urged TETFund to maintain transparency, monitoring and accountability in the utilisation of intervention funds, while calling on stakeholders to ensure that recommendations from the town hall meeting translated into measurable action.
The Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, said tertiary institutions must move beyond producing graduates to becoming centres for research and practical solutions to the country’s challenges.
“We need research that solves problems in agriculture, mining, healthcare, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and security. Our research must move beyond theory to solutions that improve the lives of our people,” Ododo said.
The governor added that tertiary institutions should help transform the region’s natural resources and human capital into food security, industrial growth, employment and sustainable development.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, represented by Prof. Babatunde Bernard; former Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada; Chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFund, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari; and other dignitaries.