SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: History & International Studies

CONTRIBUTORS:

Agomuo, K. Obinna
Igwe, A. Uchechukwu

ABSTRACT:

In response to the problem of funding confronting public tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the Federal Government of Nigeria has established Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2011. This study is primarily concerned with finding out how the TETFund is helping in alleviating the numerous challenges that confront select tertiary institutions in Owerri, Imo State, 1993- 2015. This is sequel to the problems faced by these tertiary institutions under focus. These problems included: poor infrastructure, neglect of academic staff training and retraining, inadequate library facilities, absence of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centers among others, before 1993. The study examines the impact of TETFund’s assisting mandates on the tertiary institutions in Owerri, Imo State with special emphasis on Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Imo State University, and Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, from 1993 to 2015. In this study, necessary information was analyzed adopting qualitative and quantitative approach in historical research method. To this end, information obtained from interviews, Government Reports/Publications and personal observations (primary sources), textbooks, unpublished thesis, journals, newspapers and magazines(secondary sources) were deemed vital to the study, hence their utilization. Findings revealed that these tertiary institutions under study have improved on the human and physical infrastructural developments through TETFund interventions. However, the federal government alone cannot bear the burden of funding public tertiary institutions through TETFund, and so, this study recommends amongst others that donor agencies, philanthropic individuals and groups could assist government in funding tertiary education in Nigeria. Since higher institution is cost-effective, tertiary institutions should not depend on levying students, but should also engage in improving their internally generated revenues by embarking on productive ventures that could generate even more funds. Good governance and transparency on the part of TETFund and management of tertiary institutions should be the hallmark of the funds operations. These recommendations, if employed, could assist in placing these tertiary institutions under study among the world class institutions.