The Federal Government has directed all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to submit detailed reports of unutilised TETFund allocations within the next 30 days or risk losing the funds.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, issued the directive in Abuja during a meeting with heads of institutions, warning that government resources meant for infrastructure development must not remain idle.
Alausa said the ministry was concerned that billions of naira allocated through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund had yet to be used due to bureaucratic delays. He added that unused funds may be redirected to other national priority projects if institutions fail to justify carrying them over.
He explained that procurement and project approvals must now align strictly with approved interventions, while capacity-building and mentorship programmes will be introduced to strengthen project management and compliance. Institutions that fail to utilise their allocations effectively will face sanctions.
According to the minister, transparency will also be improved through a new public dashboard showing disbursement and utilisation data. Institutions will be required to publish regular progress reports for accountability, while auditors and oversight bodies will monitor project implementation.
The directive comes months after TETFund warned it might delist institutions that fail to access or utilise their allocations. In 2025 alone, the Fund allocated N1.6 trillion to tertiary institutions across the country, focusing on campus security, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
