The Federal Government has directed all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to submit detailed reports of unutilised intervention funds received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) within the next 30 days.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, gave the directive during a meeting with heads of tertiary institutions in Abuja. He expressed concern that significant portions of TETFund allocations remain unused, hindering the government’s effort to improve infrastructure and capacity across the education sector.
Idle Funds and Accountability
Dr. Alausa said the ministry is troubled by “allocations that are not being put to good use,” noting that the resources could have addressed urgent developmental needs in schools.
“Institutions must submit reconciled reports of all unutilised funds within 30 days, which will be jointly verified. Unused funds may be redirected to priority projects, and carrying them over without strong justification will no longer be allowed,” he stated.
He also instructed institutions to ensure that their procurement plans align strictly with approved interventions, adding that approval processes should be fast-tracked to prevent bureaucratic delays.
New Monitoring Framework
To strengthen compliance, the minister announced a new set of capacity-building programmes to improve project management and reporting. Quarterly reviews will now be conducted to assess utilisation, with possible sanctions for defaulting institutions.
Transparency measures will include a public dashboard that will display disbursement and utilisation data, while schools will be required to publish periodic progress reports on their projects.
“TETFund must lead with professionalism, enforce compliance, and ensure transparency,” Alausa said. “Institutional heads should drive urgency and accountability, while bursars, procurement officers, and project coordinators must plan and report diligently.”
He also called on auditors and oversight bodies to actively monitor project execution and report any irregularities, stressing that “every TETFund naira represents public trust.”
Background
The directive follows repeated concerns from TETFund over the growing backlog of unused allocations across Nigerian tertiary institutions. In July 2025, the agency threatened to delist schools that fail to access or utilise their allocations, warning that such funds would be redirected to institutions demonstrating proper financial discipline.
Under the 2025 allocation cycle, TETFund earmarked ₦1.6 trillion for Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, focusing on campus security, healthcare, and direct infrastructure interventions.
What you should know
TETFund is a key funding source for Nigeria’s tertiary education system, supporting infrastructure, research, and academic staff development.
The new 30-day directive signals a tougher stance by the government to ensure accountability, transparency, and full utilisation of education intervention funds.
