As was published in VON, Bogoro stated this while receiving experts from the International Computer Driving Licence who were in the country to plan training for academic and non-academic workers across public universities.

TETFund also said a number of private universities and other higher education institutions in Nigeria have formed the habit of charging school fees in dollars instead of Naira, the legal tender in the country

Bogoro, recalled that the establishment of TETFund, was done basically to address challenges facing government-owned higher education institutions through its multi-billion Naira intervention programmes, added that the decision was as a result of the huge number of students in the institutions.

“Majority of students in Nigerian colleges of education, polytechnics and universities are in public tertiary institution, it is 94 percent.

In terms of number, the public tertiary institutions have about equal number with the private but in terms of population you can imagine; it is 94 per cent for public.

“A number of private tertiary institutions are charging fees in dollars not in Naira which is definitely much weaker. Therefore the Fund (intervention) should go to the public institutions,” Bogoro said.

Speaking on the fund’s Partnership with ICDL on the training of staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions, the TETFund boss said the move became necessary as the country needs to shift focus from resource-based economy to knowledge-based economy.

“In the 21st century when knowledge economy has taken over from resource-based economy, we cannot lose focus on the fact that there are some elements that drive the knowledge economy; ICT is actually the driver, we need to get that very well,” he said.

On her part, the ICDL General Manager in charge of Africa, Solange Umulisa, said the renowned Information and Communication Technology (ICT) company, will empower tertiary institutions staff with relevant and up-to-date digital skills that will not only transform the academic community but also the nation’s economy.

The initiative, which is part of TETFund intervention in ICT, will see to ICDL providing a programme that will be used in the training of the beneficiary staff and ensure its certificate are issued to successful persons at the end of the exercise.