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By Gabriel Dike
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) on Monday engaged stakeholders on certain critical areas of its operations and how to overcome identified challenges.
At the 2nd Town Hall meeting in Lagos, the fund revealed that by December 2025, Education Tax will be replaced by Development Levy in January 2026 and TETFund will get 50 percent of the collection.
In his speech, TETFund Chairman, Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, said the gathering brought together beneficiary institutions, their surrounding communities, policymakers, civil society, development partners, the media, students, and members of the public.
According to him, tertiary education flourishes best when stakeholders engage in a shared conversation about its direction, challenges, and potentials and that the Town Hall meeting provides a rare and valuable opportunity for constructive dialogue, feedback, and collaboration.
He added: “While TETFund is committed to its mandate, we emphasise that the sustainability of these interventions requires shared ownership. Institutions, host communities, industry partners, alumni networks, and civil society must work hand-in-hand to safeguard the facilities, utilise them effectively, and ensure maintenance culture across campuses.
“The achievements recorded so far testify to a collective vision—one that sees tertiary education not merely as a sector, but as the engine that drives national transformation. Yet, we are mindful that this journey requires even stronger collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose”.
Masari said TETFund investment strategy has evolved to embrace a holistic vision of tertiary education—one that balances infrastructure with human capital development, research, innovation, digitisation, entrepreneurship, and global competitiveness.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sunday Echono, said the fund has improved learning experience of lecturers in tertiary institutions and provided numerous facilities to universities, polytechnics and colleges to boost learning and research development.
Echono disclosed that TETFund is promoting digital education and innovation in beneficiary institution with a focus on knowledge driven economy, adding, ‘’we should shift to import of knowledge and goods to producing them locally.
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His words: “Knowledge has replaced natural resources. To create goods and services, we need knowledge, which rules the world. We have a rich history of education and institutions are acting as knowledge hub, which will transform our country.
Echono said with 65 percent population of youths, Nigeria has comparative advantage to produce for the World and can now export our intellectual resources to the World and earn foreign exchange.
“From January 2026, Development Levy will replace Eductaion Tax, which ends in December 2025. TETFund will get 50 percent to address many issues in the tertiary institutions. When we get this money, the impact will be felt.’’
The Director General, Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAP), Prof. Anthony Kila, the key speaker at the Town Hall meeting, said TETFund has undeniably left its mark, with tangible contributions that speak volumes.
My research reveals that the fund has paved the way for numerous positive developments, serving as a catalyst for progress and innovation that include: thousands of lecture halls, laboratories, and libraries, built or rehabilitated facilities, overseas training and postgraduate scholarships for lecturers, research grants across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, support for journals, academic publishing, and conferences
“TETFund must find a way to gain recognition outside academic circles. The key is to demonstrate tangible achievements that benefit society. When society sees these impacts, TETFund’s relevance and respect will grow. This visibility can also pave the way for more partnerships and funding beyond government support.”
The 2nd speaker and Anchor Arise News, Dr, Reuben Abati, said TETFund is among the most strategic national investments in Nigeria today and as nations now compete with ideas, innovation, technology, and talent, Nigeria must keep pace.
“Today’s lecture, “TETFund in the Public Eye: Roles, Impact, Public Value, and the Way Forward”, goes beyond administration. It is developmental and nationalistic. No country rises above its educational quality, nor can any system surpass the strength of its funding,” Abait noted.
Abati explained that the fund must position itself as a more agile, transparent, and strategically aligned institution, capable of responding to emerging national challenges, supporting innovation, and maximising the impact of every intervention.
