TETFund decries poor use of ICT infrastructure in tertiary institutions despite government’s investment

..says Nigeria ranks 189th in education competitiveness

Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has expressed concern over the poor adoption of digital platforms and ICT infrastructure in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, despite billions of naira already invested by the government.

Echono, who spoke on Monday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day workshop on Blackboard/TERAS Adoption and Usage in Beneficiary Institutions, lamented that many universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education are yet to fully embrace technology in teaching, research, and administration fully.

According to him, the slow pace of digital transformation in the education sector risks wasting critical investments and undermining Nigeria’s competitiveness globally.

He disclosed that the country currently ranks 189th in global education competitiveness and 25th in Africa, behind smaller nations such as Rwanda and Mauritius, which have successfully leveraged ICT for growth.

“The government has done its part by providing the infrastructure. But when equipment is procured and platforms created and they are not being used, that is the very definition of waste,” Echono said.

Echono stressed that technology is the only viable pathway to expanding access to quality education in the face of Nigeria’s rapidly growing population and inadequate classroom space.

He explained that with mobile devices, students can now access content, participate in learning, and acquire skills beyond the traditional classroom.

“We are no longer confined to the four walls of classrooms. With just an Android phone or a device, students should be able to access content, participate in learning, and acquire skills. There is no alternative to technology if we must prepare our youths for the opportunities ahead,” he added

He also faulted many institutions for maintaining “embarrassingly outdated” websites and continuing to send hardcopy requests to TETFund despite directives for e-submissions.

He recalled that during the COVID-19 lockdown, TETFund successfully collaborated with states, the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), and radio stations to broadcast syllabus-based lessons, which contributed to one of Nigeria’s best West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results in years.

The TETFund boss urged heads of tertiary institutions to champion the adoption of platforms such as the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS), stressing that going forward, more than half of TETFund’s education interventions would be channelled into ICT rather than physical infrastructure.

Echono also linked Nigeria’s broader underdevelopment to its failure to fully deploy technology in vital sectors such as oil, agriculture, and manufacturing, contrasting the country’s struggles with China’s rapid transformation through deliberate investment in knowledge and innovation.

“We can do the same if we decide to do the right thing. The right thing starts with our education system. The building block of every nation is knowledge,” he said.

In his remarks, Joseph Odo, Director of ICT, TETFund, said the workshop was designed to deepen understanding of the Fund’s digital platforms among registrars, bursars, directors of academic planning, ICT heads, and repository managers of beneficiary institutions.

He described TERAS as an educational lifestyle that supports students, lecturers, administrators, and government planners by improving teaching, research, and data-driven decision-making.

“This is part of our engagements with key stakeholders, registrars, librarians, ICT directors, repository managers, and academic planners, to ensure that everyone understands the interventions we are providing. The world is moving fast technology-wise, and we cannot afford to be left behind,” he said.