The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has approved the enlistment of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) as a beneficiary institution, paving the way for annual funding allocations from 2027.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, disclosed this in Abuja when the Director-General of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Babatunde Alaya, and his delegation visited the Fund to discuss the development of the DICON Institute of Technology.
Echono said the approval was granted by TETFund’s Board of Trustees at its meeting the previous week, adding that the institution would be eligible for interventions in infrastructure, information and communication technology, staff development, research and innovation.
“Effectively, they are now members of the TETFund family, and from 2027, they will begin to receive annual allocations from TETFund,” he said.
He advised DICON to appoint qualified desk officers to coordinate applications across the Fund’s intervention programmes, prepare proposals, monitor projects and ensure compliance with established guidelines.
The TETFund chief stressed the need to strengthen technical education and develop local expertise to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign skills and technology, particularly in manufacturing and defence production.
He highlighted the importance of DICON’s Welding and Fabrication Technology and Mechatronics Engineering Technology programmes, noting that advances in technology had made modern manufacturing processes faster and more efficient.
Echono also encouraged DICON to participate in TETFair, the Fund’s national exhibition of research, innovation and manufacturing scheduled for November, to showcase its achievements.
He further expressed TETFund’s readiness to collaborate with the institution on research and innovation in defence and security, adding that DICON could nominate a qualified researcher to participate in the Fund’s national research grant and monitoring committee.
Earlier, Alaya said the visit was aimed at briefing TETFund on the institution’s progress and seeking guidance on meeting its take-off requirements following its enlistment as a beneficiary.
He explained that the DICON Institute of Technology was established to develop the engineering and technical manpower required to support Nigeria’s defence manufacturing industry and broader industrial development.
According to him, the institution has been formally classified as a federal polytechnic, with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) approving six National Diploma programmes.
The programmes are Welding and Fabrication Technology, Foundry Technology, Computer Science, Science Laboratory Technology, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, and Mechatronics Engineering Technology.
Alaya said admissions were open across the six programmes, with an approved student capacity of about 960.
He noted that the institution had provided basic infrastructure, including classrooms, male and female hostels, laboratories and a library, but required additional facilities and specialised equipment to deliver effective practical training.
Among its immediate needs, he listed modern welding simulators, computing and networking facilities, and specialised mechatronics laboratories.
The DICON director-general said the institution’s management would develop a phased development plan with clearly defined costs, timelines and measurable educational outcomes to guide its expansion.
He also sought TETFund’s guidance on the appropriate mechanisms for addressing the institute’s initial and early-stage development needs, including the possible involvement of the Federal Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities.
Alaya assured the Fund that the institution would prioritise essential requirements, maintain financial accountability and ensure the proper maintenance of facilities and equipment provided.
He said the ultimate goal was to build a credible institution capable of producing technically competent graduates to support Nigeria’s industrial and defence manufacturing sectors.
