President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has greenlit the allocation of over N700 billion to beneficiary institutions under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for the year 2025.
The fund aims to bolster infrastructure development, research, and academic advancement within Nigeria’s higher education sector.
The announcement was made by TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, during the 2025 Strategic Planning Meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, bringing together heads of tertiary institutions across the country.
Echono outlined the disbursement structure for the 2025 allocation, stating, “The 2025 disbursement allocation is structured as follows: the total direct disbursement of 91.08 per cent is made up of 48.90 per cent as annual direct disbursement and 42.18 per cent as special direct disbursement. The designated projects account for 8.72 per cent while stabilisation funds are 0.20 per cent.”
The approved funding translates to a direct disbursement of N2.8 billion for each university, N1.9 billion for polytechnics, and N2.1 billion for colleges of education, earmarked as annual direct disbursement.
Highlighting the alignment with national educational priorities, Echono noted, “Our intervention activities have increased significantly, aligning with national priorities outlined in the Education Sector Road Map under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and championed by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.”
A key focus of the 2025 allocation is the improvement of existing infrastructure. “In line with Federal Government’s directives, all Physical Infrastructure Development allocations for 2025 shall be directed toward the upgrading, rehabilitation and renovation of dilapidated infrastructure in our beneficiary institutions,” Echono emphasized.
“This was communicated to you (tertiary heads) earlier to enable you consult widely and prepare your projects ahead of time. You are also advised to employ the services of your consultancy units and or physical planning units in the preparation of the project under the current disbursement cycle.”
Beyond infrastructure, Echono also revealed a boost in funding for crucial academic areas. He stated that TETFund had significantly increased the allocation for research and innovation, academic staff training and development, as well as manuscript and book development. Furthermore, the number of beneficiary institutions for special and designated projects has also been expanded.
Echono urged the heads of beneficiary institutions to prioritize the swift implementation of their allocations. He advised, “I urge all heads of beneficiary institutions to ensure the full utilisation of their 2024 and previous allocations, while fast tracking the procurement process to access their 2025 allocations.”
He also stressed the importance of community consultation in project implementation and the timely payment of contractors and vendors. “I urge all heads of beneficiary institutions to ensure the full utilisation of their 2024 and previous allocations, while fast tracking the procurement process to access their 2025 allocations,” he reiterated.
