Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Navy has sought collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, in order to consolidate on its achievements in domestic ship construction programme and other innovative ventures.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, disclosed this while hosting the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof Suleiman Bogoro, who led other members of TETFund on a courtesy visit.
Ibas said the Nigerian Navy remains poised to improving domestic knowledge, skills and aptitude for both Naval personnel and the general public, towards maritime wealth creation, national security and development.
The CNS called for TETFund’s special intervention in the areas of students’ scholarship and academic research as well as physical development of infrastructure such as workshops and laboratories at various Naval professional schools.
The Vice Admiral also disclosed that the highpoint of the Nigerian Navy’s tertiary education efforts culminated in the establishment of the Admiralty University of Nigeria in 2017.
“In line with Nigeria’s strategic maritime interest and aspirations, NN professional colleges and ADUN remain poised to improve domestic knowledge, skills and aptitude for both personnel of the NN and the general public towards maritime wealth creation, national security and development.”
Vice Admiral Ibas applauded the contributions of TETFund in the re-engineering of tertiary education in Nigeria especially in areas of infrastructural and human resource development.
He added that the visit presented a unique opportunity for the two institutions to deepen relationship in the interest of the nation.
The CNS particularly welcomed collaborations with TETFund in Research and Development, as well as other ground-breaking concepts to reduce dependence on the use of exorbitant foreign platforms and equipment for the defence of the nation’s territorial integrity.