The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has announced its 2026 intervention cycle, allocating N6.452 billion to tertiary institutions nationwide.
Executive Secretary of the agency, Sonny Echono, disclosed this at a stakeholders' workshop with heads of beneficiary institutions in Abuja, emphasising the fund's commitment to strengthening critical physical infrastructure, enhancing academic programmes, boosting research and innovation, and driving overall transformation in Nigeria's tertiary education sector.
According to Echono, the total direct disbursement accounts for about 90.75 per cent of the funds, comprising 50 per cent yearly direct disbursements and 43.75 per cent special direct disbursements.
Under the yearly direct disbursement component, 271 beneficiary institutions will receive allocations, with universities receiving N2.525 trillion each, polytechnics N1.871 billion each, and colleges of education receiving N2.056 trillion each. The funds are intended to improve the quality and impact of research in beneficiary institutions, integrate the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services platform into NgREN, and enhance access to global academic resources.
Echono added that the intervention aims to promote knowledge sharing, support initiatives that enhance skills, and ensure prompt payment to contractors. He outlined plans to equip and upgrade research and development offices, laboratories, and workshops, strengthen student exposure programmes through private sector partnerships, and sustain interventions in security infrastructure and training.
He also highlighted the importance of research and innovation, citing support for the National Research Fund, the Research Meets Industry initiative, and the commercialisation of research outcomes.
Echono urged heads of institutions to fully utilise their 2025 allocations, warning that future ones would be based on performance, enrolment, and demonstrated progress. He emphasised that institutions with initialised funds would not receive additional allocations until existing resources are fully deployed.
The TETFund boss also announced plans to develop multiple research laboratories, transition university farms to modern greenhouses, and strengthen the ICT roadmap through expanded digital services and advanced international education research and application services.
