By Bashir Bello

The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono said it has recorded significant reduction in number of abandoned projects that were hitherto on the rise in beneficiary institutions.

Echono stated this while declaring open a 2-day workshop organized by the fund for Desk officers of the institutions held in Kano.

The Executive Secretary represented by his Director, Strategic Planning Department, Arc Erivo Inene said a strategy of one on one engagement it introduced with beneficiary institution has significantly reduced the number of the abandoned projects.

Echono further said it has also put in place series of policies and engagements with the aim of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its mandate and interventions across our beneficiary institutions.

According to him, “We took proactive steps to address issues related to distressed projects across institutions, by revisiting our audit process and implementing a robust Monitoring & Evaluation policy, we have been able to achieve smoother and faster execution of physical infrastructure interventions.

“We also initiated One-Day Interactive Engagement or session with Heads of Beneficiary Institutions to gather valuable feedback on TETFund intervention projects. This input has been instrumental in refining our strategies and ensuring that our projects are tailored to meet the specific needs of beneficiary institutions.

“A One-on-One engagement with beneficiary institutions; that have distressed project with a view to understanding the problems and preferring solutions were possible. This has significantly reduced the number of abandoned projects that hitherto was rising in beneficiary institutions.

“The budgetary provision for security infrastructure and completion of project in our 2023 intervention guidelines to enable us solve some of the persistence problems in our intervention projects.

In the light of these efforts, it is obvious that the Fund has taken deliberate actions that are aimed at solving persistent problems and making our process more efficient,” Echono stated.

He continued when he expressed worry that most officials of the public Tertiary Institutions are ignorant of the public procurement act which tends to hinder the smooth and timely execution of TETFund intervention projects in tertiary institutions across the country.

Echono however said the workshop was conducted in collaboration with Bureau for Public Procurement with the aim of acquainting and equipping the desk officers with knowledge about the mandate and guidelines of the fund.

According to him, “We partnered with the Bureau for Public Procurement in conducting this workshop to ensure due process and seamless project implementation across institutions. This has further enhanced the transparency and accountability of our operations. This arose because most officials of our public Tertiary Institutions are not fully conversant with laid down procedures, standards, and processes with regards to the award and execution of public procurement in line with the act. Such ignorance many times has led to avoidable problems that hinder the smooth and timely execution of TETFund intervention projects in tertiary institutions across the country.

“As desk officers of the various intervention lines, you carry out a very significant role in the conception, reconciliation and implementation of the Fund’s programmes and process. You are the critical interface or intermediary between the Fund, and your Chief Executives, who are the accounting officers of the intervention allocations. The significance of this workshop can therefore not be overemphasized.

“As I have stated above the Desk Officers are the interface between the beneficiary institutions and the Fund regarding all activities and interventions from the beginning to the end. The Desk officers are responsible for the day-to-day operations that exist between the Fund and the institutions and are therefore positioned strategically to perform tasks and functions that requires that they are fully informed on the nature and methods of TETFUND operations always. As a result, the Desk Officers of our institutions are expected to be fully equipped and knowledgeable about our guidelines and mandate.

“This workshop is expected to bridge the gaps that exist between the Fund and our beneficiary institutions regarding our procedures and processes with regards to all our intervention lines,” the Executive Secretary, Echono however stated.