The Federal Government has directed heads of tertiary
institutions across Nigeria to submit detailed reports of all unutilised
Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) allocations within 30 days,
warning that funds left idle will henceforth be recovered and redirected
to priority projects.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, gave
the directive during a meeting with heads of tertiary institutions in Abuja.
He said the Ministry was concerned about the growing trend of institutions
leaving large portions of allocated funds unused, while critical infrastructure
deficits persist.
“Resources that could have been used to develop
infrastructure have remained idle due to avoidable bottlenecks,” Alausa stated.
“Institutions must submit reconciled reports of all unutilised funds within 30
days, which will be jointly verified. Carrying over funds without strong
justification will no longer be allowed.”
The minister announced a series of reforms to enhance
transparency and accountability in project implementation, including:
Alausa stressed that procurement plans must align
with approved interventions and that approval processes should be
fast-tracked to avoid delays.
He urged TETFund to take the lead in enforcing
compliance and transparency, while institutional heads, bursars, and
procurement officers must ensure proper planning, execution, and reporting of
projects.
“All stakeholders must uphold a sense of stewardship,
recognising that every TETFund naira represents public trust,” the minister
added.
Background
TETFund has repeatedly expressed concern over the significant
amount of unutilised allocations by some higher institutions. In July
2025, the agency warned that it would delist institutions that fail
to access or utilise their approved funds, redirecting the money to those that
comply.
In 2025, TETFund disbursed ?1.6 trillion to
Nigerian tertiary institutions, with a focus on campus security, healthcare,
and direct interventions.
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