TETFund Gets Draft Bill to Float Research Foundation

Kuni Tyessi

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has received the draft executive bill to establish the National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF).

Executive Secretary Prof. Suleiman Bogoro said that the agency had laid a foundation for driving Nigeria’s knowledge-driven economy with the draft bill already submitted.

“When we lack the fidelity to implement our policies and lack the discipline to enforce our laws, it is precisely why Nigeria has failed. We have failed to attain our potential as a nation because of some of these areas,” the TETFund boss stated. “Let us admit collective guilt. We shouldn’t be buck-passing. When we bring ourselves like this, those in government are there, the academia, of course, is there and the industry operators are there.”

According to him, there is the need to rejig and reflect over governance in government and academic institutions, adding that the area of appropriate governance at all levels has failed the nation.

The Chairman of the drafting committee, Prof. Auwalu Yadudu, said the committee was inaugurated two months ago to draft an executive Bill for the establishment of the research and development foundation. Yadudu said the bill had the support and endorsement of the federal government and would be forwarded to the education minister for approval before submitting it to the National Assembly.

“The bill seeks to establish a national research and development foundation to Institutionalise, mainstream and commercialize research and development, promote innovation and support enterprise development for job and wealth creation for a knowledge-driven economy for Nigeria,” Yadudu stated.