Abuja – Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to increase its intervention funding to boost infrastructural development in state-owned tertiary institutions. The appeal was made during a courtesy visit to TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arc Sonny Echono, in Abuja on Thursday.

Governor Lawal emphasized the critical need for additional funding, citing Zamfara’s poor financial situation and the recently declared state of emergency in the education sector. “Sometime in November, we declared an emergency in education and that is why I’m here to continue to follow up wherever we can get help, so that things will be better in Zamfara,” he stated.

The governor also sought TETFund’s assistance in completing several abandoned projects, particularly at the State University, to enhance access to higher education in the state. He stressed the urgency of addressing the pressing challenges within Zamfara’s educational system and highlighted TETFund’s crucial role in this effort.

Regarding the security situation in Zamfara, Governor Lawal acknowledged the significant challenges but assured that the government is actively working to address them.

Arc Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of TETFund, assured that despite the security issues, the fund remains committed to ensuring the continuity of education in Zamfara. “The Governor came on an appreciation visit because we are doing a lot despite the security challenges in Zamfara. We want to make sure that education continues and that every part of this country, our students, wherever they may be, have access to good quality education,” Echono said.

He noted that Zamfara is among the beneficiaries of TETFund’s High-Impact projects. He acknowledged the governor’s request to complete ongoing projects due to funding challenges, highlighting that some of these projects were initiated by previous administrations. Echono mentioned that completing these projects, rather than starting new ones, would be more beneficial to the state.

However, Echono pointed out the initial constraint of taking over such abandoned projects, explaining that TETFund would need to distinguish its projects from those solely initiated by the state.

The visit underscores the collaborative efforts between Zamfara State and TETFund to improve educational infrastructure and ensure that students have access to quality education despite ongoing challenges.