The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has raised concern that billions of naira invested in digital infrastructure across Nigerian tertiary institutions may end up wasted if schools fail to fully adopt and utilise technology.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund issued the warning in Abuja at the opening of a two-day workshop on Blackboard/Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) Adoption and Usage, organised for registrars, bursars, ICT directors, academic planners, and thesis repository managers from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
He stressed that while government has made significant investments in technology for education, many of the provided tools and platforms remain underutilised. According to him, “the government has done its part by providing the infrastructure. But when equipment is procured and platforms created, and they are not being used, that is the very definition of waste.”
The TETFund boss recalled how the agency responded during the COVID-19 lockdown by working with state governments, the Nigeria Television Authority, and radio stations to broadcast WAEC syllabus-based lessons. That intervention, he said, contributed to one of Nigeria’s strongest WAEC results in history.
Despite such achievements, he lamented Nigeria’s poor global ranking in education competitiveness, standing at 189th in the world and 25th in Africa, behind smaller countries such as Rwanda and Mauritius that have advanced through ICT-driven reforms. He urged institutions to ensure lecturers and students adopt the TERAS platform, a TETFund digital initiative designed to support teaching, learning, research, and administration.
He explained that the Fund is gradually shifting its priorities toward technology, with more than half of its education budget expected to go into ICT-related projects rather than physical infrastructure. Institutions, he added, must also update their websites with relevant data and fully onboard staff and students onto TERAS. Citing China as an example, he said strategic investments in knowledge and innovation can transform a nation’s economy and global position.
Echono further expressed frustration that some schools still send hardcopy requests to TETFund despite clear directives for electronic submissions, describing such practices as outdated and counterproductive to digital transformation goals.
TETFund’s Director of ICT, Joseph Odo, noted that the workshop was aimed at improving understanding and use of the Fund’s platforms, enhancing collaboration among beneficiary institutions. He added that the training will be extended to all six geopolitical zones, with the goal of strengthening digital adoption, data aggregation, and improved teaching and research outcomes.
Nigeria’s tertiary institutions are currently beneficiaries of the largest allocation in TETFund’s history, with N1.6 trillion approved for interventions. The funding comes from the 3% education tax on company profits, as mandated by the TETFund Act. Of this sum, N460 billion has been directed to institutions across all states, while N225 billion was released to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to support the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
Further allocations include N70 billion for solar and gas-powered energy generation facilities on campuses, N25 billion for campus security upgrades, and over N700 billion approved for 2025 interventions. Universities are to receive N2.8 billion, polytechnics N1.9 billion, and colleges of education N2.1 billion under this package.
According to TETFund, 91.08% of the total allocation is structured for direct disbursements, split between annual disbursements and special interventions, while 8.72% is reserved for special projects such as infrastructure development. A stabilization fund of 0.20% has also been set aside to balance institutional needs.
