President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of over N700 billion to tertiary institutions across Nigeria through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for the 2025 fiscal year.
The announcement was made by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, during the 2025 Strategic Planning Meeting with heads of tertiary institutions held in Abuja on Thursday.
Under the approved allocation, universities are expected to receive N2.8 billion each, polytechnics N1.9 billion, and colleges of education N2.1 billion as part of the annual direct disbursement. Echono outlined the distribution structure, revealing that 91.08% of the funds will be allocated directly to institutions.
This includes 48.90% for annual direct disbursement and 42.18% for special direct disbursement. Additionally, 8.72% is earmarked for designated projects, while 0.20% is set aside for stabilisation funds.
Echono emphasised that the disbursement aligns with the national priorities outlined in the Education Sector Road Map under President Tinubu’s administration, as championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. He noted that the intervention activities have been significantly expanded to address critical needs in the education sector.
A key focus of the 2025 allocation is the upgrade, rehabilitation, and renovation of dilapidated infrastructure in beneficiary institutions. Echono disclosed that the government had earlier directed institutions to prioritise physical infrastructure development, urging them to consult widely and prepare their projects in advance.
Read also: Tinubu toes path of law to address Rivers crisis, as PANDEF takes case to him
“Beneficiaries are encouraged to utilise their consultancy and physical planning units in preparing projects under the current disbursement cycle,” he advised.
The TETFund boss also highlighted increased allocations for research and innovation, academic staff training and development, and manuscript and book development. Furthermore, the number of institutions benefiting from special and designated projects has been expanded to ensure broader impact.
Echono called on institutional heads to commence early implementation of their allocations, engage their communities, and ensure timely payments to contractors and vendors.
He urged them to fully utilise their 2024 and previous allocations while expediting the procurement process to access the 2025 funds.
