Abuja, Nigeria |September 27, 2025
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), established to provide intervention support for public tertiary institutions, has continued to evolve through different phases of reform since its inception in 1993.
Originally created as the Education Trust Fund (ETF) by the Education Tax Act No. 7 of 1993, the agency was designed to bridge the funding gap in Nigeria’s public education sector.
It was later restructured under the TETFund Establishment Act No. 16 of 2011 to focus exclusively on tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Funded through an education tax on the profits of registered companies, the rate has shifted over the years from 2 percent to 2.5 percent in 2021, and most recently to 3 percent following the Finance Act 2023.
These adjustments have expanded the fund’s capacity to support infrastructure, teaching materials, academic staff training, research, and publication projects.
TETFund has also introduced high-impact interventions and research development initiatives, with allocations spread equitably across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
Stakeholders note that leadership priorities have shaped its direction over time, reflecting both the vision of successive administrations and statutory reforms.
Despite these interventions, challenges persist in the sector.
Education analysts point to ongoing funding shortfalls, delays in disbursement, and limited research output as evidence that the fund, while vital, has not fully addressed the financial needs of public tertiary institutions.
TETFund remains central to Nigeria’s strategy for revitalizing higher education, with reforms expected to continue as the demands of the sector evolve.
