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The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) on Monday handed down strong warnings to tertiary institutions that have failed to access funds allocated to them or inappropriately utilizing such funds.
According to the TETFund Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, such acts will no longer be entertained without consequences.
He spoke in Abuja during the 2025 One Day Strategic Incentive Workshops for Heads of Institutions, Bursars, and Head of Procurement of TETFund Beneficiary Institutions.
Stressing that the government needs institutions that are committed to judiciously utilizing the fund for the development of their institutions, he noted that its policy is not to punish any institution, but to safeguard the credibility and impact of TETFund interventions.
He said "Let me be clear, institutions that consistently fail to access, utilize or retire funds appropriately, or that fall short of enrollment and academic performance thresholds, risk being delisted as TETFund beneficiary institutions."
The Fund, he said, intends to direct its resources to institutions committed to high standards of governance, transparency, and accountability.
To this end, the Executive Secretary said the strategic engagement aims at addressing recurring challenges in Nigeria's tertiary education sector, improve project execution, and enhance the quality of education.
According to him, a key focus is the Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D) intervention.
Due to rising costs and incidents of scholars absconding, he said that the foreign component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) was suspended in January 2025.
He disclosed that emphasis will now be shifted to cost-effective, locally driven training.
The Executive Secretary maintained that this year’s intervention budget prioritises consolidation, sustainability, and the completion of abandoned projects.
"This engagement is not merely a meeting but a strategic convergence. It is designed to address recurring issues of concern, streamline project implementation and enhance the overall quality of tertiary education delivery in our nation.
"We stand at a critical juncture, where collective action, transparent processes and responsible governance can determine the future trajectory of our higher education institutions.
"Let me begin by focusing on one of the central interventions supported by the Fund, the Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D) intervention.
"As you all are aware, we made the difficult decision to suspend the foreign component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) due to the rising costs of training abroad, coupled with the increasing rates of scholar abscondment. Effective from January 1, 2025, we officially suspended this foreign scholarship component.
"This decision was not made lightly but it is in recognition of the need for a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to training and developing our academic staff. However, despite this suspension, we remain committed to enhancing the skills and capacity of our academic staff.
"The Fund continues to place emphasis on locally driven academic development programs and professional development, ensuring that our scholars can continue to receive top-tier training, albeit within a more manageable cost framework.
"Research remains a cornerstone of our developmental mission. In 2025, the Fund has significantly bolstered allocations to the National Research Fund, the Research and Innovation Fund, and the Research for Industry (Triple Helix) model. This engagement is a call to action. It is a platform to learn, reflect and commit to best practices in governance, project management and compliance.
"We must use this opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue, identify areas for improvement and renew our collective commitment to the transformation of Nigeria’s tertiary education system. As we move forward, let us approach today’s discussions with openness, collaboration, and a shared vision to elevate our institutions and the students we serve.
"Together, we can strengthen accountability, drive innovation, and ensure that the legacy of TETFund remains impactful, equitable and enduring for generations to come," the Executive Secretary stated
Dr. Joshua Attah, who represented the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Abdullahi Ribadu, commended TETFund for convening the meeting.
He noted that it also offers the opportunity to identify bottlenecks and ways to overcome them.
The Executive Secretary wondered what the fate of tertiary institutions in Nigeria would have been without the support of TETFund.
He also charged the gathering that they must begin to look at how things are done globally and begin to adapt to the changes.
"Therefore, this calls for greater responsiveness also on the part of the institutions. And this responsiveness also includes the areas of the design and implementation of these interventions to ensure that they remain relevant, impactful, and align with the future of education in Nigeria.
"It's also important that we judiciously utilise these resources, and not just judicious utilisation but also in a timely manner so that we don't lose the fund."he stated.
Urging all the stakeholders to continue to do their best, he said "It is important the funds are judiciously utilized in a timely manner."
He assured the NUC remained committed to working closely with TETFund.