The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced its 2026 intervention cycle, unveiling fresh allocations designed to strengthen Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch Sonny Echono, confirmed that all universities will each receive ₦2.525 billion, polytechnics ₦1.871 billion, and Colleges of Education ₦2.056 billion. In total, 271 institutions nationwide are set to benefit.
Echono explained that the direct disbursement accounts for 90.75% of the Fund, split into 50% annual direct disbursements and 43.75% special direct disbursements.
He said the allocations are intended to “strengthen critical physical infrastructure, enhance academic programmes, boost research and innovation, and drive overall transformation in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.”
For 2026, TETFund has introduced the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) as a new intervention line.
The initiative will improve access to global academic resources, integrate the TERAS platform, and expand ICT services and digital infrastructure.
Echono described the new cycle as a year of “growth, innovation, and measurable impact.”
Research, Innovation, and ICT
The Fund will continue investing in R&D offices, laboratories, and workshops, while also strengthening student exposure programmes through private-sector partnerships.
Security infrastructure and training will be sustained, alongside efforts to complete long-abandoned projects.
Research priorities include support for the National Research Fund, the Research Meets Industry initiative, and the commercialisation of research outcomes.
ICT development remains central, with four research labs expected to be commissioned this year and two more scheduled for completion in 2027.
In agriculture, university farms are being modernised with greenhouses and mechanised equipment to boost productivity.
Echono stressed that future allocations will be performance-driven, based on full utilisation of 2025 funds, enrolment levels, and demonstrated progress.
“Institutions with unutilised funds will not receive additional allocations until existing resources are fully deployed,” he warned.
To ensure transparency, contractors will be paid within two weeks of milestone completion. Knowledge-sharing initiatives will be promoted, and discretionary budgets will be guided by institutional performance assessments.
The Fund believes these measures will ensure that resources translate into tangible improvements across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
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