Following the selection of Kaduna Polytechnic by TETFund to a Centre of Excellence in a selected Skill Area, the Executive Secretary of TETFUND extended an invitation to the Rector of Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna for an inauguration meeting on the 24th of November, 2021. The Institution was represented by the Rector, the Registrar, the Bursar, the Director of Research and Innovation, among others.
In his inaugural address, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof. Suleiman E. Bogoro told those presented that the focus of TETfund is presently geared towards Research and Development instead of Infrastructure Development as was the focus in the past. He said having selected 12 Universities as Centres of Excellence last year, the Fund this has decided to extend the same gesture to the other sectors under TETfund jurisdiction, that is, the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. For the Polytechnic Sector, 6 Institutions were selected, they are; Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Federal Polytechnic Nekede. Federal Polytechnic, Auchi and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. For the of College of Education Sector, the following institutions were selected; Federal College of Education, Pankshin; Federal College of Education, Yola; Federal College of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education ( Technical) Omoku and Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo. The institution were selected based on age and relevance. Each Institutions was to be given the sum of One Billion Naira to implement the Project.
For the Polytechnic sector, the focus will be on Technical Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Skill Development. This focus is aimed at correcting the colonial era strategy that established institutions solely for churning out a labour force for white collar jobs to tertiary educational institutions that equip graduates with the technical and entrepreneurial skills necessary for catalyzing the explosion of micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that would mitigate the parlous state of unemployment in the country.
All Institutions were charged to use the funds provided judiciously and to follow the operational guidelines approved for the implementation of the Project. The Operations Guidelines for the Technical Centres of Excellences are to serve as a vital companion, comprehensive guide and reference for the Centres Project Staff, the Centre Proposal Evaluation and a proper understanding of what the Centres of Excellences are all about. The institutions were charged to hit the ground running and ensure the strengthening and sustainability of the Centres beyond the year 2026.
The TCoE project consists of two components. The first aims to strengthen the capacity of selected institutions to establish TCoEs. These TCoEs will deliver regional/zonal demanded quality training and applied research in partnership with national and internal academic institutions and in collaboration with industry.
The second consist of zonal activities for the TCoEs and their institutions to build capacity, support project implementation, monitor and evaluate, and develop zonal development needs.
In coming out with the appropriate Centre of Excellence, Kaduna Polytechnic reviewed data of skills gaps in the country and found that the application of renewable energy to solve Nigeria’s energy crisis shows great promises.
Accordingly, the Institutions decided to establish a TETFUND CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR NIGERIAN CONTENT DEVELOPMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY UTILIZATION (COEREU)
Renewable energy has considerable potential in Nigeria, and could bridge the major energy gaps in rural areas, particularly northern Nigeria. The scale of opportunities is only just becoming apparent as new grid technologies such as concentrated solar power are emerging as in competitors with conventional power generation. Another consideration is the gender attractiveness of the area.