The Tinubu-led administration has launched Tertiary Education Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) platform to end disruption of the academic calendar in institutions due to pandemic or any other unforeseen circumstances
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, while unveiling the platform on Wednesday said it marked a significant milestone in the present administration’s quest to transform the nation’s tertiary education sector.
TERAS which is championed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFund) is a platform that delivers digital based resources to public institutions, and also identifies staff and students to whom these resources are to be delivered.
Mamman, while stating that TERAS signifies a new beginning for Nigerian Tertiary Education, noted that the technology underpinning TERAS was a testament to the careful expertise in its design and implementation.
“The Ministry will continue to provide our beneficiary institutions and TETFund with unwavering support to fully realize the potential of TERAS, as a key component of our resolve in repositioning, strengthening and rekindling hope in our tertiary education sector,” he said.
The minister said that the Federal Ministry of Education would ensure the platform’s growth to benefit millions of students and academic staff, adding that all would be done to address the challenges in the Nigerian education system
He said the agency aimed at growing the over 2 million students and staff of beneficiary institutions currently captured on BIMS to beyond 3 million before the end of the year.
In a remark, the Secretary, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof Yakubu Ochefu, commended TETFund for putting in place TERAS, even as he called for more funding of the scheme.
“TERAS has been designed as an educational technology mall. If you have any technology out there that can fill the gaps and add value to our nation’s edu-tech, please let us know so we can work together.
” I want to draw the attention of the minister to ensure TERAS serves as a research platform for all Nigerians. It has been built on a public educational platform and should be opened to all Nigerians…., so that it can be one of the world’s best repositories.
“I know that to do that requires additional investment, that is why the stakeholders are requesting an increase in the quantum of funding for ICT to be able to cover new advances in, an increase of up to 35 per cent for educational technology for the next two years,” Ochefu said.
