The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has warned beneficiary institutions sternly, stating that any institution that mismanages allocated funds or fails to meet performance benchmarks risks being removed from its intervention programmes.
Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, cautioned during a one-day strategic meeting with heads of institutions, bursars, and procurement officers from beneficiary institutions held in Abuja on Monday.
Echono clarified that the measure is not punitive but aimed at preserving the integrity and effectiveness of TETFund’s interventions in the education sector.
“Let me be clear, institutions that consistently fail to access, utilise or retire funds appropriately, or that fall short of enrollment and academic performance thresholds, risk being delisted as TETFund beneficiary institutions,” the executive secretary said.
He also revealed the Fund’s intention to ensure that its resources are directed towards institutions committed to high governance standards, transparency, and accountability.
According to Echono, the strategic engagement aimed to address recurring challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, improve project execution, and enhance the quality of education.
He highlighted that a key focus of the initiative was the Academic Staff Training and Development intervention.
He also disclosed the Fund’s intention to ensure that its resources are directed towards institutions committed to high governance standards, transparency, and accountability.
According to Echono, the strategic engagement aimed to address recurring challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, improve project execution, and enhance the quality of education.
A key focus, he said, was the Academic Staff Training and Development intervention.
He said that due to rising costs and incidents of scholars absconding, the foreign component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff was suspended as of January 1, 2025, with the emphasis now shifted to cost-effective, locally driven training.
Echono further said this year’s intervention budget prioritises consolidation, sustainability, and the completion of abandoned projects.
He explained that the engagement was not just a meeting but a strategic convergence aimed at addressing recurring issues, streamlining project implementation, and enhancing the overall quality of tertiary education in the country.
He encouraged participants to approach the discussions with openness, collaboration, and a shared vision to elevate the institutions and the students they serve. He further emphasised that, together, they could strengthen accountability, drive innovation, and ensure that the legacy of TETFund would remain impactful, equitable, and enduring for generations to come.
He urged institutions to be more responsive and ensure that interventions were relevant and efficiently executed.
He encouraged judicious and timely use of funds and called for open and constructive dialogue during the engagement.
“This calls for greater responsiveness also on the part of the institutions. This responsiveness also includes designing and implementing these interventions to ensure they remain relevant, impactful, and aligned with the future of education in Nigeria.
“It is also important that we judiciously utilise these resources, and not just judicious utilisation but also promptly so that we do not lose the fund,” he said.
