The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Alhassan Yahya, has called for a strategic partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to support education in Nigeria.

He made the call when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono in Abuja.

He commended the Agency for its role in revitalising tertiary institutions across Nigeria, pledging deeper collaboration to strengthen public awareness of education sector interventions.

The president said “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 exploring ways both organizations could work together to advance national development through improved education outcomes and informed public engagement” he added

The NUJ president appreciated the Executive Secretary of TETFund for what he described as commendable performance in the implementation of intervention programmes across the country. He said “the union’s leadership considered it necessary to engage directly with the Agency to enhance visibility for its activities and ensure Nigerians are better informed about ongoing developments in tertiary education”

According to him, “the NUJ is proposing 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 involve visits to selected states in each zone, allowing journalists to independently observe interventions and communicate their significance to the public. He noted that the union had previously passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of the Agency and had also advocated increased federal funding for TETFund, stressing that timely release of funds remains essential to sustaining intervention programmes across institutions.

Yahya said the proposed collaboration would also include joint public sensitisation on ongoing projects, adding that broader public awareness would help Nigerians appreciate the scale of work being carried out in tertiary institutions. He further appealed support for the International Institute of Journalism, an NUJ-owned training institution dedicated to strengthening professional standards and improving the quality of journalism practice in Nigeria.