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By Gabriel Dike
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) yesterday engaged stakeholders on critical areas of its operations and how to overcome identified challenges.
At the second town hall meeting in Lagos, the fund revealed that by December 2025, Education Tax would be replaced with development levy in January 2026 and TETFund would get 50 percent of the collection.
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.
“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 had evolved to embrace a holistic vision of tertiary education, one that balances infrastructure with human capital development, research, innovation, digitisation, entrepreneurship and global competitiveness.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sunday Echono, said the fund had improved the 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 institutions with a focus on knowledge driven economy, adding, “we should shift from the importation 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 hubs, which will transform our country.
Echono said with a 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, the Development Levy will replace Education 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.’’
Director General, Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAP), Prof. Anthony Kila, a key speaker at the meeting, said TETFund had undeniably left its mark, with tangible contributions that speak volumes.
“My research revealed that the fund had 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’s support.”
Frontline journalist, Dr Reuben Abati, said TETFund was 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.”
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.
