The Federal Government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has approved the disbursement of intervention funds to 271 tertiary institutions across Nigeria, covering universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, as part of the 2026 intervention cycle.
The approval follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to strengthen infrastructure, boost research and innovation, enhance academic programmes and accelerate the transformation of Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Speaking at the annual disbursement meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sunny Echono, disclosed that each university will receive N2,525,932,228.02, while polytechnics will get N1,871,059,920.53 each and colleges of education will receive N2,056,527,973.04 respectively.
Echono explained that the 2026 disbursement structure comprises 90.75 per cent direct disbursement, broken down into 50 per cent annual direct allocation and 40.75 per cent special direct disbursement. He added that designated projects account for 9.07 per cent, while stabilisation funds make up 0.18 per cent.
However, the TETFund boss expressed concern over delays by some beneficiary institutions in processing projects for approval and securing due process clearance, warning that such lapses could hinder effective implementation.
“Institutions must carry out procurement planning early enough to avoid unnecessary delays,” he cautioned.
Echono also lamented the slow adoption of the TERAS platform by some institutions, noting that the Fund would place closer scrutiny on its usage from 2026.
“Better documentation and deeper understanding of TETFund guidelines, particularly for training and content intervention lines, are required to reduce the challenges faced by scholars,” he added.
In a major policy shift, Echono announced the introduction of a new intervention line in the 2026 annual direct intervention — the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN). According to him, the initiative will improve access to global academic resources and integrate the TERAS platform into NgREN beginning from the 2026 intervention cycle.
“With these investments, the year 2026 promises growth, innovation and measurable impact,” Echono said.
He further revealed that special intervention projects would be expanded to include the establishment of Centres for Robotics, Coding and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, as well as Centres for Cybersecurity Studies in selected institutions.
Additionally, 12 more institutions — comprising two universities, eight polytechnics and two colleges of education — will benefit from the commercial farm project.
Echono said the Fund would continue to equip and upgrade research and development (R&D) offices, advance student hostel development through Public–Private Partnerships, and sustain interventions targeting security infrastructure, completion of abandoned projects and disaster recovery systems.
He emphasized that research and innovation remain a top priority, with sustained funding for the National Research Fund, institutional R&D partnerships, the Research-meets-Industry initiative, and commercialization of research outcomes.
Laboratory and agricultural development are also expected to receive a major boost in 2026, with the enhancement of ongoing multipurpose laboratories, establishment of two new ones, and creation of agricultural laboratories and demonstration farms.
On digital transformation, Echono said TETFund’s ICT roadmap would be strengthened through expanded digital services, ICT Experience Centres, subscription-based internet access and continued advancement of the Tertiary Education Research Application Services (TERAS).
He commended the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for its role in the collection of Education Tax in 2025, expressing optimism that the new development levy under the tax reform regime would further enhance the Fund’s capacity.
“As we prepare to commence the 2026 intervention cycle, I urge all Heads of Beneficiary Institutions to fully utilise their 2025 allocations and work closely with the Fund to achieve our collective goals,” Echono said.
The 2026 TETFund intervention is expected to significantly reshape Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape through strengthened capacity, innovation and sustainable development.