FG Orders Tertiary Institutions to Account for Unused TETFund Allocations Within 30 Days
The Federal Government has issued a 30-day ultimatum to all tertiary institutions across Nigeria to submit detailed reports on unutilised allocations received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
The directive was given by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a meeting with heads of institutions held in Abuja on Thursday.
Dr. Alausa expressed concern that several institutions have failed to put allocated intervention funds to proper use, resulting in avoidable delays in infrastructural and academic development across campuses.
“The Ministry has observed with concern the growing trend of unutilised TETFund allocations lying idle due to bureaucratic bottlenecks,” the minister stated. “Institutions must submit reconciled reports of all unutilised funds within 30 days for joint verification. Any funds not properly justified will be redirected to priority projects. Henceforth, carrying over unused allocations without strong justification will no longer be allowed.”
He further directed that procurement processes must align with approved intervention projects and be expedited to avoid unnecessary delays.
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To strengthen accountability, Alausa disclosed that capacity-building programmes would soon be introduced to improve project management, compliance, and financial reporting among institutional officials. The ministry will also conduct quarterly reviews to assess project implementation and compliance, with sanctions awaiting defaulting institutions.
In a bid to promote transparency, the Education Ministry plans to launch a public dashboard displaying disbursement and utilisation data, while institutions will be required to publish periodic progress reports on ongoing TETFund projects.
“TETFund must lead with professionalism, enforce compliance, and ensure transparency,” Alausa said. “Institutional heads must drive urgency and accountability, while bursars, procurement officers, and project coordinators are expected to manage and report funds effectively. Oversight bodies and auditors must monitor these processes closely to prevent irregularities.”
The directive follows TETFund’s earlier warning in July 2025 that institutions failing to access or utilise their allocations risk being delisted, with such funds redirected to more compliant institutions.
TETFund operates on a demand-driven model, where tertiary institutions propose specific projects for funding based on identified needs. In 2025, the Fund allocated over ₦1.6 trillion to Nigerian tertiary institutions, prioritising campus security, direct interventions, and healthcare infrastructure.
By PRNigeria
