FG orders tertiary institutions to report all unutilised TETFund allocations within 30 days or face sanctions, says Education Minister Tunji Alausa

TETFund unutilised funds The Federal Government has directed all tertiary institutions across Nigeria to submit detailed reports on unutilised intervention funds received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) within 30 days, warning that sanctions await those who fail to comply.

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Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa issued the directive on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with heads of tertiary institutions, where he expressed concern over the growing volume of unspent TETFund allocations across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Alausa lamented that several institutions had failed to effectively deploy their allocated funds, a situation he said was stalling infrastructural and academic development across campuses.

“Institutions must submit reconciled reports of all unutilised funds within 30 days, which will be jointly verified,” the minister said.

“Unused funds may be redirected to priority projects, and carrying them over without strong justification will no longer be allowed.”

He emphasised that all procurement plans must align strictly with approved interventions, urging institutions to fast-track approval processes to avoid project delays and lapses.

To strengthen accountability, Alausa announced that the government would introduce quarterly compliance reviews and capacity-building programmes to improve project management and reporting standards.

He further revealed that a public dashboard would soon be launched to display data on disbursement and fund utilisation, while institutions would also be required to publish project progress reports for transparency.

“Sanctions will be imposed on institutions that fail to utilise funds effectively. TETFund must enforce compliance and ensure transparency, while institutional heads should drive urgency and accountability,” Alausa stated firmly.

The TETFund management had earlier raised alarm over rising volumes of unaccessed and unutilised allocations, warning that persistent defaulters risk losing future funding.

As of July 2025, the agency threatened to delist institutions that consistently fail to access or spend their allocations, redirecting their funds to more compliant schools.

Under the 2025 intervention cycle, TETFund earmarked ₦1.6 trillion for tertiary institutions, covering projects in campus security, direct interventions, research support, and healthcare infrastructure.

Also read: Tertiary Education Trust Fund unutilised funds face strict review

The government maintains that effective use of these funds is crucial to improving education quality, institutional resilience, and public confidence in Nigeria’s higher education system.