TETFUND Warns Beneficiary Institutions Over Failure to Reach Bench Marks

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund has warned that beneficiary institutions that fail to meet performance benchmarks or mismanage allocated funds, will risk being delisted from its support programmes.

It said the policy is not meant to punish, but rather to safeguard the credibility and impact of its interventions and to ensure that its resources are directed towards institutions committed to high standards of governance, transparency, and accountability.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stated this in Abuja on Monday during at a one-day strategic engagement with heads of institutions, bursars, and heads of procurement of the Fund’s beneficiary institutions.

According to him, the strategic engagement aims to address recurring challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, improve project execution, and enhance the quality of education.

He said: “Let me be clear, institutions that consistently fail to access, utilize or retire funds appropriately, or that fall short of enrollment and academic performance thresholds, risk being delisted as TETFund beneficiary institutions.”

He added that in 2025, the Fund has significantly bolstered allocations to the National Research Fund, the Research and Innovation Fund, and the Research for Industry (Triple Helix) model.

Echono further said this year’s intervention budget prioritises consolidation, sustainability, and the completion of abandoned projects.

His words: “This engagement is not merely a meeting but a strategic convergence. It is designed to address recurring issues of concern, streamline project implementation and enhance the overall quality of tertiary education delivery in our nation.

“We stand at a critical juncture, where collective action, transparent processes and responsible governance can determine the future trajectory of our higher education institutions. Let me begin by focusing on one of the central interventions supported by the Fund, the Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D) intervention.

“The Fund continues to place emphasis on locally driven academic development programs and professional development, ensuring that our scholars can continue to receive top-tier training, albeit within a more manageable cost framework”, he added.