UNILAG to get N5billion for critical infrastructure — TETFUND

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has disclosed that University of Lagos (UNILAG) would get N5billion special intervention fund in 2021 to build critical infrastructure.

The Chairman, TETFund Board of Trustees, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam stated this yesterday during an inspection tour of projects in the university.

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He said an iconic building for the College of Medicine in UNILAG would be built next year.

“Our target in 2021 will be UNILAG as it will benefit from special interventions. TETFund is committing the sum of N1bn this year. Going forward the University will get N5billion for critical infrastructure.

“UNILAG is our priority as it is one of the 12 centres of excellence spread across the country as each of these centres will focus on different research areas. For Lagos, it is biodiversity, conservation and ecosystem management,”

“It is for this purpose that TETFund will be making available to the institution the sum of N1billion and another N1billion to the Neurology and the Kidney Centre. I am also very passionate about, e-learning, so, we will disburse funds for these projects,” he said.

He also mentioned that TETFund would be building 2,000-bed spaces accommodation for students in key universities across Nigeria starting with the first generation universities.

As part of efforts towards restoring the culture of research and high quality academic publishing within the higher education sector, he disclosed that the FG through TETFund board approved an additional N2.95 billion in 2019 to the initial N2billion to actualize the project.

Earlier, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Folashade Ogunshola, said out of the over 3,000 students, who apply to study Medicine in the university, only 150 got admission due to lack of space.

She also said that only 40 candidates are admitted for Dentistry, 50 each for Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medical Lab Sciences.

She told the visitors that the university needs more space and an iconic building with 12 floors as well as a herbarium to be able to admit more students.

“To date, we admit only 150 of over 3,000 students that apply for medicine, 40 for Dentistry, and 50 each for Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medical Lab Sciences and these are all courses that we have a high number of candidates but are unable to admit,” she said.