Use It Or Lose It: FG Orders Varsities To Return Unused TETFund Cash In 30 Days
By ANITA KNIGHT
NIGERIA’S tertiary institutions have 30 days to account for or return all unutilised TETFund allocations, as the Federal Government moves to tighten accountability in higher education funding.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa issued the ultimatum in Abuja, warning that funds lying idle in school accounts would be redirected to priority projects. He lamented that many institutions have failed to use their allocations, leaving vital infrastructure projects stalled.
“Resources meant to improve facilities and research have remained idle due to bureaucratic bottlenecks,” Alausa said. “Unused funds must now be reported, verified, and potentially withdrawn.”
To prevent future lapses, the government is rolling out capacity-building programmes for bursars, project coordinators, and procurement officers. It will also launch a public dashboard showing how institutions spend their TETFund allocations.
Quarterly performance reviews and sanctions are also on the table for institutions that continue to delay utilisation.
In 2025, TETFund disbursed ₦1.6 trillion across Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education—targeting infrastructure, security, and healthcare. But with many schools yet to spend their funds, the ministry insists it will no longer tolerate inefficiency.
As Alausa put it, “Every TETFund naira represents public trust — and that trust must be earned through transparency, urgency, and results.”
