CPA Scores TETFund High, Passes Vote Of Confidence On Echono

The Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) has scored the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) high on service delivery in Nigeria’s education sector and passed a vote of confidence on its Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, citing what it described as strong leadership and institutional impact.

The endorsement was announced on Thursday in Abuja at a press conference addressed by CPA officials, who said the decision followed months of nationwide monitoring and assessment of TETFund’s operations, intervention programmes, and project execution.

According to the organisation, the exercise was part of its mandate to promote transparency, accountability, and efficient use of public resources across government institutions.

CPA Executive Director, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, and Director of Research and Development, Ganzallo Gbenga, said field investigators, policy analysts, procurement observers, education experts, and independent monitors were deployed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to assess TETFund projects and funding implementation.

The group said it also engaged stakeholders, including management of tertiary institutions, academic unions, students, contractors, host communities, and regulators before arriving at its conclusions.

CPA said its findings showed that TETFund has remained a key driver of tertiary education development in Nigeria, particularly in infrastructure, staff training, research funding, and institutional capacity building.

The organisation noted that the Fund has disbursed over ₦1.8 trillion in intervention funds between 2011 and 2024, with universities receiving over ₦918 billion, polytechnics more than ₦461 billion, and colleges of education over ₦458 billion.

It also stated that more than 152,000 infrastructure projects have been executed nationwide through TETFund interventions, including lecture theatres, laboratories, libraries, ICT centres, classrooms, and research facilities.

CPA further commended the agency’s support for academic staff training, postgraduate programmes, conferences, research funding, and innovation-driven initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s knowledge economy.

On digital development, the group said TETFund has continued to support ICT infrastructure, including e-learning systems, smart classrooms, and improved internet connectivity in tertiary institutions.

Despite economic challenges, CPA said the agency had sustained intervention programmes nationwide and demonstrated what it described as institutional resilience and responsiveness.

The organisation also referenced the 2025 intervention cycle, noting that universities reportedly received about ₦2.8 billion each, while polytechnics and colleges of education received ₦1.9 billion and ₦2.1 billion respectively.

While acknowledging operational challenges, CPA urged TETFund to strengthen monitoring, procurement processes, project execution timelines, and accountability mechanisms to improve efficiency.

It also advised beneficiary institutions to ensure proper utilisation of intervention funds and avoid project abandonment.

Consequently, CPA passed a vote of confidence on TETFund management led by Arc. Sonny Echono and the Board chaired by Aminu Bello Masari, citing infrastructural expansion, sustained funding, and improved implementation processes.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to continued independent monitoring of public institutions and called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the education sector to advance national development.

It also commended the media for its role in promoting accountability and urged sustained professional reporting in the sector.