TETFund Warns Billions Invested in Digital Infrastructure Risk Being Wasted if Schools Fail to Adopt Technology

Abuja, Nigeria — The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has raised alarm that billions of naira invested in digital infrastructure across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions risk going to waste due to poor adoption and underutilisation.

Echono issued the warning on Monday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day workshop on Blackboard/Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) Adoption and Usage in beneficiary institutions. The training brought together registrars, bursars, ICT directors, academic planners, and thesis repository managers from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Billions at Risk from Poor Adoption

The TETFund boss lamented that despite the government’s heavy investment in modern digital platforms, many schools have failed to fully embrace them. He stressed that with Nigeria’s rapidly growing population and limited classroom capacity, technology is the only viable means to expand access to quality higher education.

“We are no longer confined to the four walls of classrooms. With just an Android phone or device, students should be able to access content, participate in learning, and acquire skills. There is no alternative to technology if we must prepare our youths for the opportunities ahead,” Echono said.

He described the failure to utilise government-provided equipment and platforms as “the very definition of waste,” noting that underutilisation undermines the purpose of public funding.

TERAS and Digital Transition

Echono urged institutions to adopt and fully deploy the TERAS digital platform, developed by TETFund to support teaching, research, administration, and data management. He also warned that the Fund will increasingly channel more than half of its resources into ICT-related projects rather than physical infrastructure.

The TETFund chief pointed to the Fund’s response during the COVID-19 lockdown—when it partnered with state governments, the NTA, and radio stations to broadcast WAEC syllabus-based lessons—as proof of how digital platforms can transform learning outcomes. That initiative, he said, helped Nigeria record one of its best WAEC results in history.

Despite such progress, Nigeria ranks 189th globally and 25th in Africa in education competitiveness, falling behind smaller nations like Rwanda and Mauritius that have leveraged ICT to improve their systems.

Resistance to Change

Echono expressed frustration that some institutions still operate in analogue modes by sending hardcopy requests to TETFund, even after being directed to use electronic submissions. He argued that such practices slow down efficiency and defeat the government’s digital transition agenda.

TETFund’s Director of ICT, Joseph Odo, explained that the workshop was designed to deepen understanding and improve the adoption of the Fund’s digital platforms. He added that similar workshops would be extended across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to boost collaboration among beneficiary institutions.

Record Funding for Tertiary Education

The warning comes as TETFund manages its largest-ever allocation, with ?1.6 trillion earmarked for interventions in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. The funds are drawn from the 3% education tax on company profits mandated by the TETFund Act.

• ?460 billion has been allocated for direct institutional interventions, with each state selecting one university, one polytechnic, and one college of education to benefit.
• ?225 billion was released to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to support the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
• ?70 billion is being invested in solar and gas-powered energy infrastructure on campuses.
• ?25 billion has been earmarked for security upgrades, including street lighting and surveillance systems.

In March 2025, TETFund also rolled out its annual intervention allocations, with universities set to receive ?2.8 billion each, polytechnics ?1.9 billion, and colleges of education ?2.1 billion.

Echono emphasized that the allocations are structured to meet specific institutional needs, with 91.08% of the total package dedicated to direct disbursements, 8.72% for special projects, and 0.20% reserved as a stabilization fund.

Looking Ahead

Drawing inspiration from countries like China, Echono argued that knowledge-driven investments in ICT, innovation, and research will be pivotal to Nigeria’s transformation. He reiterated his call for institutional leaders to ensure that lecturers, students, and administrators are fully onboarded to TERAS and other digital tools provided by TETFund.

“The government has done its part by providing infrastructure. The responsibility now lies with our institutions to embrace and maximise these platforms. That is how we will prepare our young people for the future,” he said.