THE Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to disburse N700 billion to public tertiary institutions in Nigeria this year.
Its Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, detailed the disbursements during a strategic workshop in Abuja on Thursday, March 13, noting that each university would receive N2.8 billion for both normal and zonal allocations.
The TETFUND boss, according to a report by Punch, added that each polytechnic would get N1.9 billion while colleges of education would receive N2.1 billion per institution.
Ehono said: “Under this current disbursement cycle, each university will get N2,560,562,352.66 under normal allocation, with an additional N300,000,000.00 for zonal allocation, making N2,860,562,352.66 for each university.
“Each polytechnic will get N1,794,335,731.71 for normal allocation, with N200,000,000.00 for zonal allocation, amounting to N1,994,335,731.71.
“Each College of Education will receive N1,978,428,260.79 for normal allocation, with N200,000,000.00 for zonal allocation, amounting to N2,178,428,260.79.”
He urged leaders of respective institutions to fully utilise their 2024 and expedite procurement processes to access the 2025 funds.
He said following the federal government’s directives, 2025 allocations for physical infrastructure development would focus on upgrading, rehabilitating, and renovating existing facilities.
Echono also noted a significant boost in funding for research, innovation, academic staff development, manuscript and book development in this cycle.
This was as he noted that TETFund had ‘significantly’ increased the number of beneficiary institutions for its special and designated projects.
According to him, the 2025 disbursement plan allocates 91.08 per cent of funds directly to institutions, with 48.90 per cent as annual direct disbursements and 42.18 per cent as special direct disbursements.
“The total direct disbursement of 91.08 per cent is made up of 48.90 per cent as annual direct disbursement and 42.18 per cent as special direct disbursement. Designated projects account for 8.72 per cent, while stabilisation funds are 0.20 per cent. In this regard, each category of beneficiary institution has been allocated the annual direct disbursement as follows.
“Under the special direct disbursement category, key initiatives include increased funding and expanded participation in the Special High Impact Programme completion of the National Library building in Abuja, establishment of mechanised farms in some universities, and accelerated provision of student hostels through public-private partnerships, and direct construction in fulfillment of the President’s promise to Nigerian students and in furtherance of plans for our institutions.
“Other key focus areas in the 2025 disbursement guidelines include expanding infrastructure to enhance student intake for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists in our universities and colleges of medicine, adoption of medical simulation and technology to improve curriculum delivery and patient care, provision of alternative power to selected beneficiary institutions to mitigate current difficulties in coping with energy costs,” he added.
He further called on institutions to partner with the private sector for infrastructure development and facility management, starting with student hostels, to reduce reliance on government funding.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M