FG gives tertiary institutions 30 days to account for unused TETFund allocations

The Federal Government has directed all tertiary institutions in the country to submit detailed reports of unutilised intervention funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) within 30 days.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, issued the directive on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with heads of tertiary institutions. He expressed concern over the growing number of unspent allocations, describing it as a major setback to the development of infrastructure in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

“We have a dilemma on our hands — resources that could have transformed our institutions remain idle because of administrative bottlenecks,” Alausa said.

He explained that institutions must submit reconciled reports of all unutilised TETFund allocations within 30 days for joint verification, warning that unspent funds may be redirected to other priority projects.

“Carrying over unused funds without strong justification will no longer be permitted. Procurement plans must align with approved interventions, and approval processes should be fast-tracked to prevent unnecessary delays,” he added.

To strengthen project implementation, Alausa announced that the ministry would introduce capacity-building and mentorship programmes focusing on project management, compliance, and reporting. He said quarterly reviews would be conducted to monitor progress, while institutions that fail to comply would face sanctions.

The minister also disclosed plans to enhance transparency through a public dashboard that will display disbursement and utilisation data. Institutions will also be required to publish regular progress reports on their projects.

“TETFund must lead with professionalism, enforce compliance, and ensure transparency. Institutional heads should drive urgency and accountability, while bursars, procurement officers, and project coordinators must plan and report diligently,” Alausa stated.

He urged auditors and oversight bodies to monitor activities closely and flag irregularities, emphasising that “every TETFund naira represents public trust.”

The directive follows repeated warnings from TETFund over the large sums of unutilised allocations across tertiary institutions. In July 2025, the agency had threatened to delist defaulting institutions and redirect their funds to those demonstrating effective utilisation.

TETFund’s allocations are based on a demand-driven model in which institutions submit proposals for projects tailored to their specific needs. In 2025 alone, the agency allocated N1.6 trillion to Nigerian tertiary institutions, with priorities including campus security, healthcare, and direct infrastructural interventions.