For years, Nigeria’s tertiary education system has struggled under the weight of abandoned projects, stalled academic programmes, and bottlenecks that slow down implementation of critical reforms.
However, a fresh resolve to confront these challenges head on is taking root at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
During a recent strategic workshop in Abuja, which brought together Directors of Physical Planning, Academic Planning, and ICT from across beneficiary institutions, TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono said the time for excuses was over.
He said it was time to streamline processes, deepen accountability, and ensure that every intervention achieves maximum developmental impact.
Describing the workshop as more than a routine gathering, he called it a “strategic convergence,” a deliberate forum to strengthen institutional capacity, resolve recurring challenges, and align TETFund’s interventions with national priorities.
“Our aim is to ensure that every institution represented here is well equipped to align more effectively with the Fund’s operational procedures for greater efficiency, accountability, and developmental impact,” he told participants.
He also urged them to use the engagement as a springboard for institutional reform.
One of the most talked-about announcements from the workshop was the suspension of the foreign training component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS).
The decision, the Executive Secretary explained, was not taken lightly. Rising costs of overseas programmes and the troubling incidence of scholars absconding after training made the model unsustainable. But rather than scaling back its commitment, TETFund is redirecting resources to strengthen local capacity.
“We will continue to support rigorous postgraduate and professional development programmes within Nigeria, ensuring that they deliver value at a sustainable cost,” he assured. This recalibration, he argued, would not only conserve resources but also build capacity within Nigerian universities themselves.
Also, the Fund’s renewed emphasis on research and innovation drew nods of approval. For the 2025 intervention cycle, TETFund has scaled up allocations to the National Research Fund, the Research and Innovation Fund, and its Triple Helix Model,which fosters collaboration between academia, industry, and government.
“These initiatives are expected to generate practical solutions to national problems in technology, agriculture, and healthcare while fostering commercialization and cross-institutional partnerships,” the Executive Secretary explained.
A flagship in this drive was the rollout of the Tertiary Education, Research, Application and Services (TERAS) platform, a digital ecosystem designed to eliminate paperwork, reduce delays, and ensure transparency. Institutions were urged to operationalize TERAS without delay, as it will soon become the default interface with the Fund.
With TERAS, TETFund hopes to plug leakages and strengthen traceability, ensuring that every project is properly tracked from inception to completion.
Physical infrastructure has long been one of the most visible components of TETFund’s interventions. Across campuses, lecture theatres, laboratories, and hostels bear testimony to the Fund’s footprint. Yet, the challenge of incomplete or abandoned projects has persisted.
For 2025, TETFund is taking a new approach: prioritize consolidation and completion over unchecked expansion. According to the Executive Secretary, allocations will focus on rehabilitating existing facilities and completing stalled projects rather than starting new ones.
“We expect institutions to demonstrate accountability, prudence, and urgency in ensuring the completion of these legacy projects,” he cautioned.
To address systemic challenges, TETFund has also established two special committees. The Committee on Power will develop interventions to tackle the chronic electricity shortages crippling campuses, while the Committee on Special High Impact Projects (SHIP) for Medical Colleges will focus on strengthening infrastructure for medical education.
Already, 18 universities have benefited from the SHIP initiative, highlighting the Fund’s commitment to critical sectors.
Beyond immediate interventions, TETFund is now looking to the future. A key part of its long-term sustainability strategy is encouraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Areas such as student hostels, innovation hubs, and service centres, the Fund believes, should no longer rely solely on government funding. By tapping into PPPs, institutions can build financial autonomy while sustaining academic and infrastructural growth.
“Institutional leaders must begin to think beyond government subventions,” the Executive Secretary urged. “Financial autonomy and innovative partnerships are the future of higher education.”
The Executive Secretary also sounded a strong note of caution. He warned against the unchecked expansion of programmes and facilities by some institutions, often without regard for quality assurance or available resources.
Institutions, he said, that fail to access, utilize, or retire funds properly, or those that underperform on key benchmarks, risk being delisted as TETFund beneficiaries.
“This policy is not punitive but rather a mechanism to safeguard the integrity and effectiveness of our interventions,” he stressed.
The workshop concluded with a call for openness, reflection, and action. Participants were encouraged to share experiences, ask critical questions, and propose solutions that would help reposition tertiary education.
“Together, we can build a more transparent, resilient, and future-ready educational system that will serve our youth and our nation for generations to come,” the Executive Secretary said in closing.
The workshop was not just about policy pronouncements, it was about resetting priorities. From suspending foreign scholarships to scaling up research, from pushing digital innovation through TERAS to championing PPPs, TETFund is positioning itself as both a financier and a reform driver in Nigeria’s education sector.
For institutions, however, the challenge is clear: they must rise to the occasion by demonstrating accountability, completing legacy projects, and embracing reforms that will ensure sustainability. For TETFund, the road ahead is about consolidating gains and breaking bottlenecks.
