Tinubu’s reforms pushed TETFund funding to N1.6trn in 2025 — Masari

…as TETFund’s support to NELFUND for student loans exceeds N300bn

…SGF tasks tertiary institutions on accountability

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, has said the funding available to the agency rose from N320.3 billion in 2023 to N1.6 trillion in 2025, reflecting the Federal Government’s commitment to tertiary education under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Masari disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the 2026 TETFund Board of Trustees National Town Hall Meeting with stakeholders, themed “Investing in Nigeria’s Future: Tertiary Education, Human Capital and National Development.”

He said TETFund’s budget increased to N683.4 billion in 2024 before reaching N1.6 trillion in 2025, representing an approximately fivefold increase over the 2023 figure.

According to him, the increased funding has strengthened the capacity of beneficiary institutions to improve infrastructure, academic programmes, research facilities and the overall learning environment.

“For the 2026 annual direct intervention alone, 271 beneficiary institutions are covered,” he said.

Masari explained that the allocations include approximately N2.526 billion for each university, N1.871 billion for each polytechnic and N2.057 billion for each college of education.

He, however, stressed that the value of the investments must ultimately be measured by improvements in the quality of graduates and their contributions to national development.

The TETFund chairman said the agency had also intensified its investment in skills acquisition, particularly in polytechnics, by supporting the establishment of skills development centres, providing training equipment and consumables, and training quality assurance assessors.

He disclosed that nearly 1,000 assessors had been trained under the initiative, with additional training ongoing, adding that TETFund had committed N10 billion in 2026 to developing skills acquisition centres in polytechnics nationwide.

He said the initiative complemented the agency’s support for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centres and the N48 billion approved for upgrading engineering and technology facilities in 12 universities.

On research, he disclosed that approximately N6.09 billion had been approved for 174 successful proposals under the 2025 National Research Fund grant cycle.

He called on beneficiary institutions to ensure transparency, prudent management and proper maintenance of facilities provided through the agency’s interventions.

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Earlier, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, disclosed that the agency had provided more than N300 billion to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to support student loan disbursements.

Echono described NELFUND as a major initiative of President Tinubu’s administration, noting that TETFund had played a significant role in the processes leading to its establishment and operationalisation.

“Nearly all the funds that have been released to Nigerian students, over N300 billion of it, was provided to NELFUND by the Federal Government,” he said.

He explained that the intervention was part of the administration’s broader efforts to expand access to education and reduce financial barriers facing students in tertiary institutions.

The TETFund executive secretary also highlighted the agency’s support for education data management, staff welfare, student innovation, research infrastructure and digital learning.

He disclosed that a special interest-free loan scheme had been approved to support lecturers and non-teaching staff in tertiary institutions, while a separate student innovation fund would help students develop inventions and transform their ideas into marketable products.

Echono said TETFund was also expanding its research investments, including the establishment of multipurpose research laboratories, one of which President Tinubu had agreed to commission in Abuja.

He further disclosed that more than 418 projects were ready for commissioning across beneficiary institutions, reflecting the scale of ongoing interventions in the tertiary education sector.

The agency, he added, was supporting the construction of modern student hostels in 114 institutions and providing student transportation in 42 institutions.

He urged stakeholders to sustain the programmes, warning that some of the interventions could be at risk if future policy decisions did not support their continuation.

In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, called on tertiary institutions to match increased government investment with greater accountability, prompt utilisation of funds and measurable improvements in teaching, research and graduate quality.

Akume, who was represented by Dr. Aliyu Zakari-Jiya, spoke at the town hall meeting, stressed that TETFund’s impact should not be assessed solely by the number of buildings constructed but also by improvements in teaching, scholarship, governance and the capacity of graduates to contribute meaningfully to society.

Also speaking, the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, said the Federal Government remained committed to strengthening human capital development through education reforms, research, innovation and professional development.

He said infrastructure development must be accompanied by investment in teachers, lecturers, researchers and other education professionals to ensure that institutions had the personnel required to operate and maintain their facilities effectively.

Alausa also highlighted the ongoing review of curricula and national occupational standards to make education more responsive to the needs of industry and the labour market.

The Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, also acknowledged TETFund’s contributions to the development of tertiary education, particularly its support for institutions owned by state governments.

Radda commended the Federal Government for providing funding that enabled TETFund to support institutions in addressing infrastructure and other developmental needs.