Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to deepen investment in research and innovation to unlock economic potential of the North Central region.
Governor Ododo made the call at the 2026 TETFund Town Hall Meeting for the North Central held in Lokoja on Thursday.
The Governor described education as one of the most important investments any society can make in shaping its future.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting TETFund and investing in infrastructure and other projects across Kogi State, the North Central region and across the country.
He cited the expansion of infrastructure in tertiary institutions in the state which he noted are among the fastest growing state-owned higher institutions in the country in terms of physical infrastructure due interventions by TETFund.
Governor Ododo also listed the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene-Benin Road, Kogi Free Trade Zone, Lokoja International Market, Kogi International Airport and ongoing efforts to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Company as key investments capable of transforming the state’s economic fortunes.
According to him, the Town Hall Meeting provides an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange ideas, identify challenges confronting tertiary institutions and develop practical solutions that will strengthen education in the region and the country.
Governor Ododo commended TETFund for its interventions in infrastructure, research and capacity building, assuring the agency of the support and cooperation of his administration in creating an enabling environment for tertiary institutions to thrive.
He urged stakeholders to leverage the region’s agricultural and solid mineral endowments by strengthening research and innovation that would provide the intellectual capacity needed to convert its natural resources into economic value for the people.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who also spoke at the meeting, commended Governor Ododo for his efforts in strengthening tertiary education in Kogi State.
Idris said the Town Hall was designed to enable policymakers and education managers understand challenges confronting institutions beyond what statistics can reveal and develop interventions that respond to actual needs.
He highlighted TETFund’s 2026 interventions, which provide N2.53 billion for each university, N1.87 billion for polytechnics and N1.02 billion for colleges of education, describing the investment as significant to the development of tertiary education in the country.
The Minister said institutions in the North Central must align research with the economic realities and development needs of their communities, particularly in agriculture, mineral resources, technology and other areas with potential for value addition.
He also said more than 1.2 million students have benefited from the Federal Government’s decision to channel recovered funds into the Nigeria Education Loan Fund providing increased access to tertiary education.
Idris urged TETFund to strengthen transparency and accountability in the disbursement and utilisation of intervention funds by tertiary institutions.
Earlier the Member of TETFund Board of Trustees (BoT) representing the North Central Zone, Hassan Ocholi, described the meeting as a strategic platform for stakeholders to assess the impact of TETFund interventions and identify areas of support.
He said the engagement would strengthen dialogue on academic excellence, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital development, assuring that the North Central remained committed to advancing education in the Nigeria.
The TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, represented by Abdulmumin Oniyangi, said the forum provided an opportunity for institutions and other stakeholders to identify areas of intervention, assuring of continued support to improve the quality and global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Education said TETFund had played a significant role in strengthening tertiary education in the country, noting that the state currently operates three universities and allocates 30 per cent of its budget to education.
He appealed for expanded TETFund support to institutions yet to benefit from some intervention programmes, while the Vice-Chancellor of Kogi State University, Kabba, commended Governor Ododo for his investments in tertiary education and called for increased interventions, particularly in technology and innovation.
A major highlight of the meeting was the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by stakeholders from the North Central Zone and the adoption of Governor Ododo as Patron by TETFund stakeholders
