FG orders tertiary institutions to return unused TETFund allocations

The Federal Government has ordered tertiary institutions to submit reports of intervention funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund that remain unutilised within the next 30 days.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, gave the directive in Abuja on Thursday during a meeting with heads of institutions.

Alausa noted that the ministry has been faced with a dilemma over the issue of allocations that are not being put to good use.

He stated that resources that could have been used to develop infrastructure in institutions have remained idle due to bottlenecks.

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. Procurement plans must align with approved interventions, and approvals should be fast-tracked to prevent delays,” Alausa said.

The minister also announced that capacity-building programs would be introduced to strengthen project management, compliance, and reporting, alongside mentorship initiatives. Quarterly reviews will track progress and compliance, with sanctions for institutions that fail to utilise funds effectively.

Transparency will be enhanced through a public dashboard showing disbursement and utilisation data, and institutions will be required to publish project progress reports.

Alausa also emphasised that the success of this initiative depends on strong collaboration among stakeholders.

“TETFund must lead with professionalism, enforce compliance, and ensure transparency. Institutional heads should drive urgency and accountability, while bursars, procurement officers, and project coordinators must plan and report diligently.

“Auditors and oversight bodies are expected to monitor activities and flag irregularities. All stakeholders must uphold a sense of stewardship, recognising that every TETFund naira represents public trust,” Alausa said.

This directive is coming as no surprise, as TETFund has repeatedly expressed concern over the significant amount of unused allocations by higher institutions in Nigeria.

In July 2025, TETFund threatened to delist institutions that fail to access and utilise their allocations, emphasising that the funds would be diverted to institutions that are up to date with accessing and utilising disbursements.

The allocation of TETFund resources is based on demand-driven interventions, where institutions submit proposals for projects based on their needs, and TETFund approves them accordingly.

In 2025, TETFund allocated N1.6 trillion to Nigerian tertiary institutions, with a focus on campus security, direct intervention, and healthcare.