Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFund), has approved the setting up of a research secretariat for enhanced partnership between the government, private sector and academic institutions in the country.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, who revealed this in Abuja, said the initiative would foster economic and social development in a knowledge-based economy.
While receiving a delegation from the Nigeria Economic Summit Gorup (NESG) led by its Chief Executive Officer, Laoye Jaiyeola, the Executive Secretary said that the Research Secretariat would be domiciled in NESG.
Echono noted that the move was part of the synergy-building efforts by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and TETFund under its policy of the triple helix approach to research which is anchored on the government, academia and industry partnership.
The TETFund boss further stated that the partnership was meant to ensure that Nigerian institutions become more relevant to the society, national development aspiration, the needs of industry, solving problems, and generally improving the lifestyles and standard of living of Nigerians.
He described NESG as the policy arm or coordinating group for the Nigerian private sector, stressing that the partnership with NESG is imperative to drive the concept of employability for graduates, improve curriculum delivery in institutions, make graduates of institutions more relevant to the workplace and the work opportunities of tomorrow.
The TETFund boss also urged NESG to provide a work plan and specific timeline as well as the requirements, deliverables and targets to commence the implementation of the policy direction and objectives.
Meanwhile, the CEO of NESG, Laoye Jaiyeola, recalled that talks about the partnership began in 2018, stressing that all the issues that necessitated the partnership were still germane and relevant.
While calling for the setting up of the secretariat, he said it would not only be a platform for NESG, but also for the private and public sectors and civil society organisations as well as for everyone to be able to sit together and look at issues as they relate to the country.
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