TETFund to blacklist Institutions over misused education funds
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warning was given by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, during a two-day workshop in Abuja. The event was attended by directors of physical planning, academic planning, and ICT from institutions that benefit from TETFund.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has warned that it may stop funding any Nigerian university, polytechnic, or college of education that misuses or fails to properly use the money it receives.
The warning was given by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, during a two-day workshop in Abuja. The event was attended by directors of physical planning, academic planning, and ICT from institutions that benefit from TETFund.
Echono said the goal of the workshop was to help school officials better understand how to manage the money given for education projects.
He stressed that institutions that do not use, report, or manage these funds properly—or that perform poorly—may be removed from the list of TETFund beneficiaries.
“This is not meant to punish anyone,” he said. “It’s to protect the purpose of our support and make sure the money is used well.”
He added that the workshop was also meant to solve recurring problems in how schools carry out TETFund projects and improve their overall performance.
“Our goal is to make sure each institution here understands the rules and is ready to follow them so that our efforts lead to real development,” Echono said.
He also talked about TETFund’s future plans for 2025 and beyond.
One major update is the suspension of foreign training for academic staff under the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS), starting January 1, 2025. Echono explained that the decision was due to rising costs and cases where scholars failed to return after their studies abroad. Instead, TETFund will focus on supporting quality postgraduate training and professional development within Nigeria.
Echono also said the Fund will increase support for research and innovation. In 2025, more money will go to the National Research Fund (NRF), the Research and Innovation Fund, and a program that encourages partnerships between researchers, industries, and government (called the Triple Helix Model).
These projects aim to solve real-life problems in areas like technology, agriculture, and healthcare, and to help schools work together and bring their research into practical use.
The workshop was held in all six regions of Nigeria and included presentations and question-and-answer sessions.
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