By Onoja Baba
Dr. Hassan Abdulrahman Ocholi has expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving his appointment as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), representing the North Central geopolitical zone.
Ocholi also conveyed heartfelt gratitude to the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, for his support, encouragement and confidence, describing the appointment as a call to greater national service and a responsibility to advance tertiary education across the North Central region and Nigeria at large.
The development was made known to journalists on Tuesday in a statement issued by Dr. Ocholi following the announcement of his appointment by the Presidency.
Describing the appointment as both a privilege and a solemn responsibility, Ocholi pledged to work diligently with other members of the Board to strengthen TETFund’s interventions in public tertiary institutions and ensure that the North Central geopolitical zone receives quality representation.
“I am deeply grateful to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for finding me worthy of this important national assignment. I consider this appointment not merely as a personal recognition but as a call to serve Nigeria with integrity, diligence and patriotism in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I also sincerely appreciate His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, whose unwavering support, encouragement and commitment to the development of Kogi State and its people continue to inspire many of us in public service. I remain indebted to him for his confidence and fatherly guidance.”
He assured the people of the North Central geopolitical zone that he would be an effective voice on the Board by promoting equitable educational development, improved access to intervention funds, enhanced research support, academic staff capacity building and quality infrastructure in public tertiary institutions across the region.
“I assure the good people of the North Central that I will discharge this responsibility with transparency, accountability and fairness. I will work with fellow Board members and the management of TETFund to ensure that our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education continue to receive the support required to produce globally competitive graduates and research that will drive national development.”
Ocholi also thanked the people of Kogi State, particularly the people of Oganenigwu Ward in Dekina Local Government Area, for their prayers, goodwill and steadfast support throughout his career.
A seasoned administrator, scientist and policy expert, Dr. Ocholi holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biological Sciences and possesses several postgraduate qualifications, including a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Public Health and a degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution.
He has built a distinguished career spanning public service, scientific research, administration, policy engagement and community development, earning recognition for his contributions to national development, research, public health advocacy, grassroots mobilisation and evidence-based policymaking.
President Tinubu, while announcing the appointment, urged the new Board member to contribute meaningfully to the implementation of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda through effective oversight and strategic policy direction for tertiary education.
Established by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Establishment, Etc.) Act, 2011, TETFund replaced the former Education Trust Fund (ETF), which had operated under the Education Tax Act. The agency was created to administer, manage and disburse education tax collected from registered companies in Nigeria to public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Its interventions cover critical infrastructure development, academic staff training, research grants, library development, instructional materials, entrepreneurship programmes and other initiatives aimed at improving the quality of tertiary education across the country. The Act also refocused the Fund exclusively on public tertiary institutions to deepen its impact on higher education.
As a member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Ocholi will join other members responsible for providing policy direction, ensuring transparency in the management of the Fund and supervising the effective utilisation of education tax resources for the transformation of Nigeria’s tertiary education sector in line with the objectives of the TETFund Act.
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