Tetfund Has Invested Over N4.5bn In Gombe Varsity- Echono

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has executed 11 projects at the Gombe State University worth N4.5 billion. The Executive Secretary of Tetfund, Mr Sonny Echono, said this at the inauguration ceremony of the projects at the university main campus at the weekend in Gombe. Echono said that since the university’s enlistment as a beneficiary of the Fund in 2006 to 2023, TETFund has allocated more than N15 billion for infrastructure-related interventions, cutting across the Annual, Special and Zonal interventions, among others. He expressed satisfaction that the projects undertaken with the fund had impacted on the mandate of the university in facilitating teaching, learning and research. Echono also commended the university management in partnering with the Federal Government in its efforts at making public tertiary institutions centres of excellence, research and discovery, as well as a drive towards making the institutions globally competitive. He noted that completing projects amidst the prevailing economic situation was not easy. However, he said despite the challenges, the projects were delivered, urging the university to ensure that the facilities were well maintained to avoid dilapidation. The TetFund executive scribe assured that the Fund would continue to support the institution’s drive for creativity through meaningful research endeavours. The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Aliyu Elnafaty, said since its establishment the institution has benefited from the Fund’s various intervention projects, including lecture halls, laboratories, libraries and ICT facilities. On manpower development, he said the Fund has sponsored about 500 academic staff for postgraduate studies from Masters up to PhD levels at various universities within and outside the country. On his part, the visitor to the university, who is the state Governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, announced that the Dukku campus of the institution would soon take off with the Faculty of Environmental Studies. Yahaya noted that 80 per cent of the structures in the university were executed by TetFund, noting that its Senate building would soon be constructed under the Special Intervention fund. TetFund also inaugurated four projects at the Federal College of Education Technical, Gombe, also executed under various interventions.

UN Commits To Deepening Partnership With Gombe Across Key Sectors

The United Nations (UN) has pledged its commitment to support and collaborate with the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State in various critical sectors, including health, education, and more to foster socio-economic development.   The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Hajiya Amina Mohammed gave this indication during a meeting with the Governor on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York. She commended the giant strides and progress achieved under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya in Gombe State, noting that the Governor has set a precedent in subnational governance. Hajiya Amina Mohammed offered words of encouragement to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, lauding the discernible improvements in the quality of life of the people of Gombe State.  She assured the Governor that the UN would stand shoulder to shoulder with him and his administration throughout his stewardship to deliver meaningful development to Gombe State. The DSG assured Governor Inuwa of her willingness to engage with international development partners such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Susan Buffet Foundation, and the African Peace Corp to garner support for Gombe State in the realm of healthcare and human resource development. She also offered to facilitate UN’s technical support to bolster the Secretariat of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, a crucial platform for regional development, as soon as a formal request is made. In his remarks, Governor Inuwa Yahaya commended the Hajiya Amina Mohammed for her remarkable contributions to the UN’s global mission, describing her as a worthy daughter of Gombe and proud global ambassador of the state and Nigeria. During the meeting, he presented an overview of the multifaceted development initiatives that his administration is currently implementing, with a particular focus on healthcare and education. The Governor appealed for support in leveraging Hajiya Amina’s international networks to enhance Gombe state’s healthcare system, particularly at the primary and secondary levels. This includes attracting skilled manpower to fortify the operations of the three General hospitals that have either been constructed or rehabilitated across the three senatorial zones of Gombe State. He emphasized his administration’s unwavering commitment to providing counterpart funding where necessary to facilitate this vital endeavor. In his capacity as the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Governor Inuwa Yahaya also sought the UN’s assistance in strengthening the Forum’s Secretariat through the provision of technical experts. These experts would work in tandem with the Forum to drive its overarching development objectives.