The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Arch. Sonny Echono, has said Nigeria needs urgent steps to come out of its current situation.
Echono who stated this while meeting with leadership of the Committee, led by its chairman, Prof. Anya O. Anya, in Abuja on Tuesday said: “No one can doubt the fact that Nigeria has one of the best brains in the world. Having assembled our best and given the dare circumstances and situation that we faced.”
The RDSC of TETFund is a large group of over 150 members with 13 thematic areas of focus, which the task to fast-track Nigeria’s global competitiveness in product development and service delivery by leveraging innovation systems.
The thematic Groups include Agriculture, Environment and Bioresources, Medicine, Energy, Infrastructural Development, Education Pharmaceuticals, and Digital Economy, Petroleum, Fossils Resources Solid Mineral and Mining; Defence and Military; Governance, Social Development, amongst others.
Dangote plans 300,000 fresh jobs for Nigerians
Osinbajo: Corruption is a disaster all Nigerians must unite against
He said: “We have reached an important milestone in our national development that requires us taking new bearings, changing course, and exploring all the alternatives to see how we can lift this country from where we presently are.”
“So my charge and my prayer and appeal before you this morning is to commend Mr president through the Minister for approving the appointment of the chairman, it is my pleasure to formally handover the letter to you and to say I’m now a messenger in delivering message to you from the chief visioner the president and the minister for education.
He said as leaders, as patriots and as people who have devoted all their life time to this quest, “I urge you to take the lead in designing an agenda that can fast track this process.”
He said this is something TETfund wants to be able to showcase that they
are committed to making that investment and also harnessing the human and natural resources and deploying them but they need them as experts and leaders to drive it.
Earlier, Anya said the importance of science and technology in reshaping the future of Nigeria cannot be overemphasised.
“Many years from now, maybe 10 to 20years, some will look at Nigeria and recognize this day as the day when Nigeria started taking science and technology seriously. “I believe in the intention, the vision in all of us sitting here to hope that the lost time will be recovered and Nigeria will join those who use science and technology for development,” he said.