TETFund Invests ₦320 Billion in Nigerian Tertiary Education, Faces Challenge of Lecturers’ Jet-setting Habits

Sonny Echono, the executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), disclosed that the fund disbursed a whopping ₦320 billion for interventions in tertiary institutions across Nigeria in 2023. This revelation came during Mr Echono’s address to journalists following the TETFund management retreat in Makurdi on Monday.

Mr Echono shared that the retreat aimed to assess the fund’s performance throughout 2023, highlighting that over the years, more than ₦400 billion had been allocated to tertiary institutions. The escalating expenditure on interventions is attributed to the growing enrolment of institutions in the TETFund intervention programme.

These intervention programmes encompass diverse initiatives, ranging from infrastructural development in tertiary institutions to sponsoring lecturers for master’s and PhD programmes abroad. However, Mr Echono expressed concern about the rising trend of Nigerian university lecturers absconding after completing their studies overseas under TETFund sponsorship.

The TETFund executive secretary stated that the board plans to hold absconded lecturers accountable by either ensuring they refund the money spent on them or repatriating them. He emphasised the need for stringent measures to address this issue and disclosed ongoing efforts to refine the database tracking such incidents.

While refraining from providing specific figures, Mr Echono acknowledged the alarming nature of the situation, expressing disappointment at the abuse of the opportunities provided by TETFund. To tackle this challenge, TETFund is instituting a two-fold approach. Firstly, individuals benefitting from TETFund programmes but failing to return will be required to make a full refund. Secondly, TETFund is collaborating with embassies and institutions abroad to repatriate those who do not comply.

Source: Peoples Gazette