The Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) has expressed confidence in the leadership of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), praising the agency for its contributions to the growth and development of tertiary education in Nigeria.
The group said its decision followed months of independent investigations and nationwide assessments of TETFund projects and intervention programmes across beneficiary institutions.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, the Executive Director of CPA, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, said the organisation’s review covered infrastructure projects, research funding, staff training, ICT development, and institutional performance in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
According to him, the assessment involved education experts, policy analysts, procurement observers, and field investigators who monitored project implementation and fund utilisation in different parts of the country.
Lawson stated that TETFund has remained one of the major drivers of infrastructural and academic advancement in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector since its establishment.
He disclosed that between 2011 and 2024, the agency disbursed over N1.8 trillion as intervention funds, with universities receiving about N918 billion, polytechnics N461 billion, and colleges of education N458 billion.
CPA further revealed that more than 152,000 projects have been executed nationwide through TETFund interventions, including lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, ICT centres, hostels, administrative buildings, and research facilities.
The organisation also commended the Fund’s efforts in academic staff development, noting that thousands of lecturers have benefited from postgraduate scholarships, conferences, and professional training programmes both within and outside Nigeria.
According to the group, TETFund’s investments in research funding, entrepreneurship centres, ICT expansion, and library development have improved teaching, learning, and innovation across higher institutions.
While acknowledging concerns surrounding procurement procedures, project monitoring, and delays in execution, CPA maintained that the current management has shown commitment to transparency, stakeholder engagement, and institutional reforms despite economic difficulties.
The organisation therefore passed a vote of confidence on the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, and the Board Chairman, Aminu Bello Masari, citing sustained funding, infrastructural expansion, and improved accountability within the agency.
However, CPA urged the Fund to further strengthen its monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure timely completion of projects and prevent abandonment by beneficiary institutions.
The group also reaffirmed its commitment to continued independent oversight of public institutions in order to promote transparency and improved service delivery in governance.
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