Federal Government Orders Tertiary Institutions to Account for Unused TETFund Allocations

The Federal Government has directed all tertiary institutions in the country to submit reconciled reports of unutilised funds received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) within 30 days. The reports, according to the government, will be jointly verified after submission to ensure transparency and accountability.

Minister of State for Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, gave the directive at a meeting with heads of federal tertiary institutions, bursars, and procurement directors in Abuja. He said the move was aimed at ensuring effective utilisation of TETFund resources and strengthening accountability in the education sector.

Alausa noted that unspent funds have remained a recurring challenge, undermining the Federal Government’s investments in tertiary education. “Funds released for specific projects or interventions are sometimes not deployed on time or not fully expended before new allocations are made,” he said. “These idle funds represent lost opportunities — resources that could have improved laboratories, classrooms, ICT facilities, research centres, and faculty development but did not, due to delays or weak accountability.”

The minister warned that institutions would no longer be allowed to carry over unused funds without strong justification. He said such funds might be redirected to priority projects to accelerate development in the sector. Alausa also stressed that procurement plans must align with approved interventions and that approvals should be fast-tracked to prevent project delays.

To strengthen project delivery, the government plans to introduce capacity-building programmes focusing on project management, compliance, and reporting. The minister disclosed that quarterly reviews would be conducted to monitor progress and that sanctions would apply to institutions that fail to utilise funds effectively.

He emphasised that heads of institutions, bursars, and procurement directors would be held accountable for lapses, while transparency would be enhanced through a public dashboard showing disbursement and utilisation data. Institutions will also be required to publish periodic project progress reports.

Alausa called for collaboration among all stakeholders, urging TETFund to enforce compliance and ensure transparency. “Every TETFund naira represents public trust,” he said. “Let unutilised balances no longer be a recurring embarrassment but the catalyst for improved governance and transformative impact in our tertiary education system.”

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every fund allocated translates into tangible outcomes — from equipped laboratories and modern classrooms to enhanced research and faculty development.