TETFUND unveils digital services platform for tertiary institutions

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled a digital services platform for tertiary institutions.

The platform is called Tertiary Education Research, Applications, and Services (TERAS).

TERAS comprises IT infrastructure and services offering computing, storage, and networking to participating institutions.

The platform is also meant to support the publication and learning needs of students through institutional libraries.

Tahir Mamman, the minister for education, was at the unveiling of the platform in Abuja on Tuesday.

The minister said TERAS marks a significant milestone in the quest to transform the tertiary education sector.

“The technology underpinning TERAS is a testament to the careful expertise in its design and implementation,” he said.

“We at the ministry are acutely aware of the challenges our education system faces in today’s world.

“To the dedicated staff and staff in our tertiary institutions, please be assured that I am fully cognizant of your concerns, and we are committed to addressing them head-on.

“I won’t dwell on these issues in great detail, but I want to convey that we are taking decisive steps to tackle them. TERAS represents remarkable progress for all of us.”

Sonny Echono, the executive secretary of TETFund, said TERAS will be a central hub for tertiary education services.

“TERAS has been meticulously designed to seamlessly integrate various essential components,” Echono said.

“First is identity management, followed by a federated academic repository to address critical challenges faced by students, researchers, and institutions in accessing educational resources and research materials.

“Other services such as sponsored mobile internet access, EagleScan for plagiarism checking, aggregated journal and research subscription inclusive of EBSCO, Blackboard Learning Management System, digital literacy, and intervention funding are available to our institutions, staff, and students.”