ASUU Seeks Direct Involvement in TETFund Projects Implementation
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called for its direct involvement in the implementation of projects funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
In a briefing held on Sunday at the ASUU Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka chapter secretariat, the ASUU Owerri Zone, which comprises Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Imo State University, Owerri; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, raised concerns over the current management structure of TETFund.
Co-ordinator of the ASUU Owerri Zone, Professor Dennis Aribodor, who led other union leaders, demanded that the management of TETFund be decentralized, allowing each tertiary institution to manage the funds allocated to it directly. He argued that the current system, where the institution’s management and governing councils propose and recommend projects for TETFund, is prone to fraud and corruption.
Aribodor pointed out that the appointees in the management and governing councils of institutions may collaborate with TETFund officials in Abuja, bypassing academic unions like ASUU, which, according to the union, should play a crucial role in the implementation of projects to ensure transparency and accountability.
ASUU Owerri Zone also expressed strong opposition to the proposed abolition of TETFund, a proposal allegedly embedded in the Tax Reform Bill (2024) currently before the National Assembly. The union warned that such a move would severely impact public tertiary institutions across Nigeria, particularly universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, leaving them in a state of decline and enabling privately owned institutions to thrive at the expense of public education.
Aribodor condemned the aspect of the bill which seeks to reduce the funds allocated to TETFund, specifically highlighting Section 59(3) of the Nigerian Tax Bill (2024), which stipulates that only 50% of the Development Levy, previously used to finance TETFund’s projects, would be allocated to the fund between 2025 and 2026. He raised concerns that the remaining portion would be diverted to other bodies such as NITDA, NASENI, and the newly established Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The union further condemned plans to completely cease TETFund’s funding by 2030, as alleged in the tax bill, and strongly opposed the diversion of education taxes to NELFUND. ASUU emphasized that bursaries for students should be a top priority, and funding for public institutions should not be diminished.
The union urged all stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector to reject the proposed tax reforms, particularly the abolition and reduction of TETFund’s contributions to public tertiary institutions.
