TheCable

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor of Kwara, is seeking the support of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for the upgrade of three colleges of education in the state to universities.

During a visit to Sonny Echono, the executive secretary of the TETFund, in Abuja on Wednesday, the governor commended the agency for its interventions in federal and state tertiary institutions across the country.

He listed the three colleges of education for conversion into universities to include Kwara State College of Education in Oro, the Kwara State College of Education (Technical) in Lafiagi, and the Kwara State College of Education in Ilorin.

AbdulRazaq said most state-owned colleges of education face infrastructure challenges, poor investment, and lopsidedness where the non-teaching staff are far more than the academic staff.

He said it is on record that Kwara has one of the best university libraries in West Africa, courtesy of TETFund’s intervention.

“But we need more support. By and large, we intend to convert all our colleges of education to universities of education and so we need your assistance to do that. It is easy to do that because the structures are there,” the governor said.

Echono, in his response, pledged to increase TETFund’s intervention for tertiary institutions in Kwara state.

The executive secretary also pledged to help the state actualise its dream of converting some of its colleges of education to universities.

Echono commended Kwara for leading the north in education from the colonial period as seen in the number of institutions in the state.

On the issue of insecurity facing schools in the country, Echono said the fund has been engaging with security agencies, the ministry of education, and other stakeholders to guarantee safe education for the children.

“Kwara has been useful to the country in providing institutions that train teachers from the basic level of education,” the TETFund boss said.

“On our end, we introduced a new intervention line last year where we try to upgrade security facilities in our beneficiary institutions.”