The Tertiary Education Trust Fund says it will inaugurate a new electric campus transportation scheme across selected tertiary institutions nationwide in November to ease the mobility challenges faced by students.

The executive secretary of TETFUND, Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Wednesday when a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students, led by its national secretary, Shedrack Anzaku, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Mr Echono said the initiative, which would begin with 12 pilot campuses, was part of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to improve the welfare and learning environment of Nigerian students through innovation and inclusion.

“Students currently face many risks and spend so much time moving around campuses, especially those who live off-campus. From next month, we will be launching electric student shuttle services in selected institutions. The vehicles will be managed by students themselves to ensure accountability and sustainability,” Mr Echono said.

He added that the electric vehicles  would have designated charging points on each campus, with minimal costs per ride to ensure affordability.

According to him, the project is part of broader interventions designed to address accommodation, power supply, and learning infrastructure across Nigerian tertiary institutions.

“The president challenged us to improve the conditions under which our students study, from hostels and classrooms to how they commute. We are massively investing in student hostels across 72 institutions and will begin commissioning more projects from December,” he added.

Mr Echono also revealed that TETFund  was scaling up support for research laboratories, digital learning systems, and sustainable power projects to strengthen the quality of higher education and make it globally competitive.

“We are building multi-purpose research laboratories across universities in Kano, Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Abuja, so that Nigerian researchers can conduct world-class research without having to send samples abroad,” he said.

On student welfare, Mr Echono reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of background, has access to quality education and support through the National Student Loan Scheme, now managed by NELFund.

“We are institutionalising funding to make sure every willing Nigerian child gets the opportunity to learn and succeed. The government is refocusing the fund to serve the interests of Nigerian students,” he said.

NANS’ national secretary,  Anzaku, lauded the TETFund management for its transformative projects on campuses, noting that the Fund’s interventions have significantly improved infrastructure and learning facilities nationwide.

(NAN)