ASUU Rejects Proposed Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Warns of Threat to TETFund

The Yola Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has vehemently rejected the proposed Nigeria Tax Bill (NTB) 2024, urging the National Assembly to also dismiss the bill, warning that its passage could severely undermine the funding for tertiary education in Nigeria.

ASUU argued that the bill, if enacted into law, would lead to a gradual erosion of funding to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), with the potential to leave the fund completely depleted by 2030.

Dani Mamman, the Coordinator of ASUU Yola Zone, described the bill as a direct threat to tertiary education in the country. He pointed out that under the NTB 2024, TETFund would receive only 50 percent of the development levy from 2025 to 2026, with the remaining half redirected to other agencies such as NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency), NASENI (National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure), and NELFUND (National Economic and Livelihood Fund).

The Yola Zone of ASUU, which encompasses Adamawa State University (ADSU) Mubi, Modibbo Adama University (MAU) Yola, Federal University Gashua (FUGA), Taraba State University (TSU) Jalingo, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), and Yobe State University (YSU) Damaturu, has raised serious concerns about the long-term consequences of this shift in funding. The union warned that the bill’s provisions could lead to the eventual collapse of TETFund, severely crippling the funding and development of higher education institutions across Nigeria.

ASUU opposed the further reduction of TETFund’s share between 2027 and 2029, with the bill’s provisions ultimately eliminating its funding entirely by 2030. The union emphasized that redirecting TETFund’s resources to agencies like NELFUND—an institution with no clear mandate for funding higher education—would be detrimental to the nation’s tertiary institutions.

“TETFund has made significant contributions to the development of infrastructure in universities and other tertiary institutions of learning,” Mamman said. “Depriving it of funding would reverse the progress made and possibly bring these institutions back to the deteriorated state they were in before the creation of TETFund.”

The union also argued that redirecting funds meant for TETFund to other agencies would be a gross misallocation of resources and a violation of the TETFund Act of 2011, which clearly mandates that the funds be used for the development of tertiary education.

ASUU has called on the National Assembly to reject the bill outright, warning that any move to weaken TETFund would set back Nigeria’s educational sector for years to come. The union insists that the funds allocated to TETFund should remain dedicated to supporting Nigeria’s universities, colleges, and polytechnics, which are already grappling with inadequate infrastructure and resources.

The academic body also expressed concern that the redistribution of the development levy could further undermine the autonomy of higher education institutions, making them more dependent on external agencies that may not prioritize educational development.

In conclusion, ASUU has called for a reevaluation of the proposed NTB 2024 and reiterated its commitment to fighting for the integrity of TETFund and the future of Nigeria’s tertiary education system. The union has promised to continue mobilizing support and raising awareness about the potential dangers of the bill for the educational sector.