Comrade Alhassan Yahya, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has proposed a strategic partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to support education in Nigeria.
He made the call while leading a delegation on a courtesy visit to TETFund's Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, in Abuja.
He praised the Agency's role in revitalising tertiary institutions across Nigeria, promising greater collaboration to raise public awareness of education sector interventions.
The president stated that "the union had consistently monitored the agency's activities and was satisfied with the execution of projects in institutions nationwide."
"This visit is aimed at strengthening institutional partnership and looking into ways both organisations could collaborate to advance national development through improved education outcomes and informed public engagement," he added.
The NUJ president praised TETFund's executive secretary for his commendable performance in implementing intervention programmes across the country.
He stated that "the union's leadership considered it necessary to engage directly with the agency to enhance visibility of its activities and ensure Nigerians are better informed about ongoing developments in tertiary education."
According to him, "The NUJ proposes a joint inspection tour of selected tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones to assess projects executed and showcase their impact."
He explained that the proposed tour would include visits to specific states in each zone, allowing journalists to independently observe interventions and communicate their importance to the general public.
He noted that the union had previously voted to support the agency's leadership and to advocate for increased federal funding for the TETFund, emphasising that the timely release of funds is critical to the sustainability of intervention programmes across institutions.
Yahya stated that the proposed collaboration would also include joint public sensitisation on ongoing projects, and that increased public awareness would help Nigerians understand the scope of work being carried out in tertiary institutions.
He also sought support for the International Institute of Journalism, a NUJ-controlled training institution dedicated to raising professional standards and improving the quality of journalism practice in Nigeria.
