For years, transportation has remained a silent struggle on Nigerian campuses. Students have trekked long distances between lecture halls and hostels, spent heavily on daily transport, and faced safety risks, especially those living off-campus.
The problem, often overlooked, has drained time, energy, and resources that could have gone into learning.
Now, relief is on the horizon. In a bold move to rewrite this story, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is set to introduce a cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable solution, electric shuttle buses that will transform the way students move around their campuses.
According to TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, the electric campus transport scheme will officially take off in November, beginning with 12 pilot institutions across the country.
The plan, he said, is part of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to make the learning environment safer, more inclusive, and innovation-driven.
Echono announced the initiative in Abuja, during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by its National Secretary, Comrade Shedrack Anzaku.
“Students currently face many risks and spend so much moving around campuses, especially those who live off-campus. From next month, we will be launching electric student shuttle services in selected institutions. “The vehicles will be managed by students themselves to ensure accountability and sustainability,” he said
The shuttles will come with designated charging points on each campus and low-cost ride fees, ensuring affordability while cutting down on carbon emissions. For Echono, this isn’t just about comfort it’s about reimagining student welfare in a modern, eco-friendly way.
He explained that the electric transport scheme forms part of broader efforts to address accommodation, power supply, and learning infrastructure across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
“The President challenged us to improve the conditions under which students study from hostels and classrooms to how they commute. We are investing massively in student hostels across 72 institutions, and by December, more projects will be ready for commissioning.”
Beyond mobility, TETFund is also ramping up investments in research laboratories, digital learning systems, and sustainable power projects, all aimed at making Nigerian higher education globally competitive.
“We are building multi-purpose research laboratories in Kano, Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Abuja, so that Nigerian researchers can conduct world-class studies here at home instead of sending samples abroad,” he added.
On student welfare, Echono reaffirmed the government’s pledge to inclusivity through the National Student Loan Scheme, now managed by NELFund, ensuring that every willing Nigerian child can access quality education without financial barriers.
“We are institutionalising funding to make sure every willing Nigerian child gets the opportunity to learn and succeed,” he said.
The visit wasn’t just about policy, it was also about recognition. NANS National Secretary, Shedrack Anzaku, commended TETFund for its transformative impact, saying the Fund’s interventions have redefined learning spaces across the country.
“Without TETFund, many of the structures we see today in our institutions would not exist. We commend Arc. Echono for his visionary leadership and for prioritising the welfare of Nigerian students,” Anzaku said.
NANS also presented Echono with an Award of Excellence and passed a vote of confidence on his leadership, describing him as “a father and mentor” who continues to engage constructively with student leaders to promote peace and progress in the education sector.
The North-Central Coordinator of NANS, Husseini Ebu, echoed similar sentiments, praising TETFund’s visible impact and urging it to sustain the momentum. “We have seen your signature across our institutions. The structures you have built have redefined the learning environment. We urge you to continue so that the children of the poor can remain on campus and learn in dignity,” he said.
