The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has issued a stern warning to beneficiary institutions that fail to meet performance benchmarks, mismanage allocated funds, or fall short of academic standards. Institutions that continue on this path risk being delisted from the Fund’s support programmes.
This warning was delivered by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, during a strategic engagement with heads of institutions, bursars, and heads of procurement held in Abuja on Monday.
Echono emphasized that the policy was not punitive but aimed at safeguarding the integrity and impact of TETFund’s interventions. He said institutions that consistently fail to access, utilize, or retire funds appropriately, or fall below required enrollment and academic performance levels, would no longer be eligible for support.
“TETFund will only direct its resources to institutions that are committed to high standards of governance, transparency, and accountability,” Echono said.
The engagement focused on tackling persistent challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, improving project execution, and raising the quality of education delivery. A significant emphasis was placed on the Academic Staff Training and Development intervention.
Echono revealed that due to rising costs and frequent cases of academic staff absconding abroad, the foreign component of the scholarship programme had been suspended from January 1, 2025. The Fund will now prioritize more cost-effective, local training initiatives.
He added that this year’s intervention budget would prioritize sustainability, the consolidation of existing projects, and the completion of abandoned ones.
“This engagement is a strategic convergence to address recurring issues, streamline project implementation, and ensure that the legacy of TETFund remains impactful for generations,” he stated.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Joshua Atah, who represented the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, praised TETFund’s contributions to infrastructure, staff development, and research. He noted that without the Fund, public education in Nigeria would struggle to survive.
Atah commended the decision to suspend foreign scholarships and redirect resources more effectively, urging institutions to be responsive, transparent, and timely in their use of allocated funds.
“This calls for greater responsiveness from institutions to ensure that interventions remain relevant and aligned with the future of education in Nigeria,” he said.
TETFund remains committed to fostering innovation and accountability across Nigerian tertiary institutions.
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