The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has threatened to sanction beneficiary tertiary institutions that fail to meet its performance benchmarks or mismanage allocated funds. The agency said it would de-list such tertiary institutions from its support programmes.

Its Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, gave the warning at a one-day strategic engagement with heads of institutions, bursars, and heads of procurement of the agency’s beneficiary institutions yesterday in Abuja.

Echono said the policy was not designed to punish but to safeguard the credibility and impact of the fund’s interventions.

He said: “Let me be clear. Institutions that consistently fail to access, utilise or retire funds appropriately or that fall short of enrollment and academic performance thresholds risk being delisted as TETFund beneficiary institutions.”

Echono announced the intention of TETFund to ensure that its resources are directed towards institutions that stay committed to high standards of governance, transparency, and accountability.

The executive secretary said the strategic engagement was targeted at addressing recurring challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, improving project execution, and enhancing the quality of education.

A key focus, he said, is the Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D) intervention.

Echono said due to rising costs and incidents of scholars absconding, the foreign component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) was suspended as of January 1, his year, with emphasis now shifted to cost-effective, locally driven training.

The executive secretary said this year’s intervention budget prioritises consolidation, sustainability, and the completion of abandoned projects.

He added: “This engagement is not merely a meeting but a strategic convergence. It is designed to address recurring issues of concern, streamline project implementation and enhance the overall quality of tertiary education delivery in our nation.

“As we move forward, let us approach today’s discussions with openness, collaboration, and a shared vision to elevate our institutions and the students we serve.

“Together, we can strengthen accountability, drive innovation, and ensure that the legacy of TETFUND remains impactful, equitable and enduring for generations to come.”

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, restated the need for the meeting to evaluate the implementation and impact of TETFund – supported projects in higher education institutions.

The NUC boss, who was represented by Dr. Joshua Atah, lauded TETFund’s vital role in improving infrastructure, research, staff development, and academic quality.

He noted that without the fund’s support, public education would struggle to survive.

Ribadu acknowledged the adaptability of TETFund’s policies, such as suspending international scholarships to reallocate resources more effectively.

He urged tertiary institutions to be more responsive and ensure that interventions remain relevant and efficiently executed.