Posted by The federal government has announced a one-stop shop for higher education support services with the goal of fostering collaboration among faculty, students, and the scholarly community at large.
Tertiary Education Research, Applications, and Services (TERAS), as described by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, is an IT-based platform designed to reposition, enhance, and renew faith in the higher education sector of the country.
On Tuesday, in Abuja, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) unveiled its initiative, promising its unflinching support for recipient institutions and the TETFund as they work to realize the full potential of the Tertiary Education Access and Success (TERAS) program.
The future of our children and the fate of our country depend on our commitment to education. Past problems, such as the delays brought on by COVID-19, and current financial difficulties in our industry remain major concerns, he said.
“The benefits that TERAS promises to bring to educators, students, and the entire educational community are awe-inspiring and must be fully exploited,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Sonny Echono, TETFund’s Executive Secretary, outlined the organization’s strategy for Tertiary Education Research, Applications, and Services as a whole.
He explained that the idea for TERAS came about during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country’s educational system was essentially shut down. The effect was dramatic, but it also encouraged others to take action.
“TERAS is built with the intention of integrating several different parts without any noticeable gaps. Student, researcher, and institution access to vital academic resources and research materials is addressed first by identity management via BIMS (Beneficiary Identity Management System), and then by a federated academic repository.
“Additional services, include EagleScan for plagiarism detection and sponsored Mobile Internet Access. Our institutions, faculty, and students have access to EBSCO, the Blackboard LMS, digital literacy training (including ICDL and communication skills training), and intervention funding.
Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities Secretary Professor Yakubu Ochefu made a comparison between TERAS and a shopping mall for educational technology.
He urged Nigerians to step forward if they have access to any technology that may be used to improve the country’s educational system.
I’d like to bring it to the minister’s notice that TERAS should be available to researchers across Nigeria. Since it was created using public funds for education, it should be accessible to all citizens of Nigeria.