The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to disburse a total of ₦6.452 billion to tertiary institutions under its 2026 intervention cycle.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, revealed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ workshop with heads of beneficiary institutions, where the 2026 disbursement guidelines were discussed. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that allocation letters were also distributed to the institutions.
Echono explained that under the planned intervention, each university would receive ₦2.525 billion, each polytechnic ₦1.871 billion, and each college of education ₦2.056 billion. The total direct disbursement represents about 90.75 per cent of the funds, comprising 50 per cent annual direct disbursements and 43.75 per cent special direct disbursements.
Under the annual direct disbursement component, 271 institutions will benefit. Universities, irrespective of age, size, or enrolment, will each receive ₦2,525,932,228.02; polytechnics will get ₦1,871,059,920.53 each; and colleges of education ₦2,056,527,973.04 each.
The funds are intended to strengthen critical infrastructure, enhance academic programmes, boost research and innovation, and drive overall transformation in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. Echono highlighted that the intervention will also improve the quality and impact of research, including better access to global academic resources and integration of the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) platform into NgREN from 2026.
He added that TETFund will continue to upgrade research and development offices, laboratories, and workshops, while student exposure programmes will be strengthened through private-sector partnerships and construction initiatives. Security infrastructure, long-abandoned projects, and technical design collaborations will also be prioritised.
Research and innovation remain central to the intervention, with support for the National Research Fund, the Research Meets Industry initiative, and commercialisation of research outcomes. ICT development is also a focus, with plans for expanded digital services, advanced international education research platforms, and improved internet access through substation-based centres.
Echono noted that multiple research laboratories are under development, with four expected to be completed this year and two more set for completion next year. In agriculture, university farms are being upgraded with modern greenhouses and equipment to increase productivity and reduce labour intensity.
He urged all heads of institutions to fully utilise their 2025 allocations, stating that future funding will depend on performance, enrolment, and progress. “Institutions with unutilised funds will not receive additional allocations until existing resources are fully deployed,” he cautioned.
TETFund’s 2026 intervention, Echono concluded, promises a year of growth, innovation, and measurable impact across Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
