THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Ibadan Zone, yesterday, asked President Bola Tinubu to protect Nigeria’s educational sector from the potential pitfalls of International Monetary Fund, IMF, policies.
The union expressed concerns over the proposed dissolution of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, in favour of the newly suggested National Education and Learning Fund, NELFUND.
The proposal, the union said, was part of the 2024 Public Benefit and Taxation Bill, PBTB, which they claimed posed significant risks to the future of public education in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference, ASUU’s Zonal Coordinator, Professor Oyegoke Oyebamiji, highlighted the role TETFund has played in enhancing the infrastructure of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Oyebamiji said: “TETFund, born from the advocacy of this very union, has been instrumental in fostering academic excellence, promoting groundbreaking research, and equipping our laboratories and libraries.”
He emphasised that replacing TETFund with NELFUND is akin to “cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face,” warning that such a move would be regressive and detrimental to Nigeria’s educational prospects.
Professor Oyebamiji faulted the Federal Government’s current budget allocation of 7% to education, far below the 15% commitment made during their campaign and the 20% threshold recommended by UNESCO.
