The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has affirmed its commitment to assisting King’s College, London, in its collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to establish a medical school in Abuja.
Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, conveyed this assurance during a visit by a senior delegation from King’s College on Tuesday in Abuja.
What he said
Expressing enthusiasm for the medical school project, Echono emphasized that TETFund is eager to collaborate with various entities in research to address challenges facing the country.
- He highlighted the significance of creating local content in the field of life sciences and medical sciences, aiming to reduce the foreign exchange expended on medical tourism.
- Echono shared insights into TETFund’s ongoing efforts to establish a modern research centre in Abuja, attracting researchers and postgraduate scholars from existing colleges and universities of medical sciences.
- He expressed the Fund’s willingness to explore collaboration with Afreximbank and King’s College in areas such as facilities, staff training, and research.
- The Executive Secretary outlined Nigeria’s initiatives in establishing institutions focusing on the health and life sciences sector.
- He underscored the potential for the partnership to set standards, offering a model that other institutions could emulate, and fostering joint research programs.
Dr. Helen Bailey, the Deputy Vice President of King’s College, London, leading the delegation, highlighted the institution’s partnership with Afreximbank on the proposed medical school project in Abuja.
Bailey emphasized that the medical centre would address the issue of brain drain in the country. She expressed King’s College’s readiness to collaborate with TETFund and relevant government bodies to achieve the desired goal.
The collaboration aims to develop the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), including a medical school, nursing school, and research centre co-located with a hospital on the outskirts of Abuja.
King’s College, known for its extensive partnerships with European hospitals, is set to contribute to education, training, and research in this initiative.