Newsworth | Danjuma Amodu | January 14, 202
In a landmark move signalling equity, accountability, and accelerated development, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) announced its largest-ever intervention package worth ₦6.452 billion for Nigeria’s higher education sector in 2026.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Dr. Sonny Echono revealed the details during a high-level stakeholders’ forum held in Abuja on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
Allocation letters were ceremonially handed over to Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts of all 271 eligible universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country.
For the first time in TETFund’s history, every institution, regardless of age, size, or enrollment, will receive an identical sum under the 2026 intervention cycle.
Each university receives ₦2,525,932,228.02, each Polytechnic receives ₦1,871,059,920.53 and each College of Educationrecieve ₦2,056,527,973.04 accordingly.
Dr. Echono described this as a deliberate shift toward equitable resource distribution, aimed at closing long-standing gaps where larger or older institutions historically received disproportionate shares of funding.
To ensure prudent use of public funds, TETFund has introduced strict conditionality. According to Echono, institutions that failed to fully utilize previous allocations will not qualify for fresh funds until outstanding balances are accounted for and pending projects are completed. This measure is designed to eliminate fund stagnation and promote project execution.
The 2026 intervention prioritises critical areas including the rehabilitation and construction of lecture halls, hostels, and laboratories; upgrading research infrastructure; and integrating the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) platform with the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) to improve digital access and global academic collaboration.
Additionally, TETFund will facilitate student exposure initiatives through industry partnerships, complete stalled capital projects, and modernize agricultural farms with greenhouse installations to enhance practical training and food security.
To expedite implementation, TETFund now mandates payment to contractors within two weeks of verified milestone delivery, a policy shift expected to drastically reduce project delays.
Echono called on institutional heads to treat 2025 allocations as a priority, warning that future disbursements will be performance-based. Key evaluation metrics will include utilisation rates of prior funds, student enrollment growth, timeliness of project delivery, research productivity, and innovation outcomes.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the intervention framework as part of his Renewed Hope Agenda, reinforcing the government’s commitment to revitalising Nigeria’s tertiary education system through targeted, measurable, and inclusive investment.
