…Warns Against Policies That Could Threaten Programmes
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has released more than ₦300 billion to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to support the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Thursday at the agency’s 2026 Board of Trustees National Town Hall Meeting with stakeholders in Abuja, where he highlighted the fund’s contributions to expanding access to tertiary education.
He, however, warned that the sustainability of some of TETFund’s interventions could depend on future government policy decisions, urging stakeholders to protect programmes designed to improve access to education, research and innovation.
The meeting was held under the theme, “Investing in Nigeria’s Future: Tertiary Education, Human Capital and National Development.”
Echono said TETFund played a significant role in the processes leading to the establishment and operationalisation of NELFUND, describing the student loan scheme as a major initiative of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Nearly all the funds that have been released to Nigerian students, over N300 billion of it, was provided to NELFUND by the Federal Government,” Echono said.
The student loan scheme is designed to help eligible Nigerian students meet the cost of tertiary education and reduce financial barriers to accessing higher education.
NELFUND began disbursing loans to students in 2024, covering institutional fees and providing upkeep support to eligible beneficiaries. The scheme forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve access to education through interest-free loans.
Beyond student loans, Echono outlined several interventions aimed at improving the welfare of tertiary institution workers, supporting student innovation and strengthening research and digital learning.
He disclosed that an interest-free loan scheme had been approved for academic and non-academic staff in tertiary institutions.
The fund is also supporting student innovation through a separate initiative designed to help young Nigerians develop inventions and turn their ideas into commercially viable products.
Echono said TETFund was expanding investment in research infrastructure, including multipurpose research laboratories. He added that President Tinubu had agreed to commission one of the facilities in Abuja.
According to him, more than 418 projects were ready for commissioning across beneficiary institutions, while modern student hostels were being constructed in 114 institutions. Transportation had also been provided for students in 42 institutions.
The executive secretary urged stakeholders to sustain the interventions, warning that policy decisions that failed to support their continuation could threaten some of the programmes.
TETFund funding rises to ₦1.6tn
Earlier, the Chairman of TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, disclosed that the agency’s funding increased from ₦320.3 billion in 2023 to ₦683.4 billion in 2024 before reaching ₦1.6 trillion in 2025.
The former Katsina State governor attributed the increase to the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening tertiary education.
He said the higher funding had enabled beneficiary institutions to improve infrastructure, academic programmes, research facilities and the general learning environment.
“For the 2026 annual direct intervention alone, 271 beneficiary institutions are covered,” Masari said.
He put the allocations at approximately ₦2.526 billion for each university, ₦1.871 billion for each polytechnic and ₦2.057 billion for each college of education.
TETFund’s published 2026 intervention guidelines also confirm allocations of about ₦2.526 billion per public university, ₦1.871 billion per polytechnic and ₦2.057 billion per college of education.
Masari, however, said the success of the investments should not be measured solely by the amount of money released or the number of buildings constructed.
He stressed that the quality of graduates produced and their contributions to national development should remain central measures of the fund’s impact.
₦10bn earmarked for skills acquisition centres
Masari disclosed that TETFund had committed ₦10 billion in 2026 to developing skills acquisition centres in polytechnics nationwide.
He said the initiative was intended to strengthen technical and vocational education by providing training equipment and consumables, while improving the practical skills of students.
The agency is also training quality assurance assessors to improve standards in skills acquisition programmes.
The investment complements TETFund’s support for innovation and entrepreneurship centres and the ₦48 billion approved for upgrading engineering and technology facilities in 12 universities.
The Federal Government announced the ₦48 billion intervention in March 2026, with each of the 12 selected institutions expected to receive ₦4 billion to upgrade engineering workshops and procure modern equipment.
On research, Masari said approximately ₦6.09 billion had been approved for 174 successful proposals under the 2025 National Research Fund grant cycle.
He urged beneficiary institutions to ensure transparency, prudent financial management and proper maintenance of facilities provided through the agency’s interventions.
FG demands accountability from institutions
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, urged tertiary institutions to translate increased government investment into measurable improvements in teaching, research, governance and graduate quality.
Akume, represented by Aliyu Zakari-Jiya, said TETFund’s impact should not be judged solely by the number of buildings constructed but also by the quality of scholarship and graduates’ capacity to contribute meaningfully to society.
He called on beneficiary institutions to ensure accountability and use funds promptly for their intended purposes.
Similarly, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to human capital development through education reforms, research, innovation and professional development.
Alausa said infrastructure development must go hand in hand with investment in lecturers, teachers, researchers and other education professionals to ensure institutions had the personnel needed to operate and maintain the facilities.
He also highlighted the ongoing review of curricula and national occupational standards to make education more responsive to industry requirements and labour market demands.
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