The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled a significant financial injection for Nigeria's tertiary institutions, with universities set to receive over two and a half billion naira each in the 2026 intervention cycle.
Breakdown of the 2026 Allocations
Arc. Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, made the announcement on Tuesday, 13th January 2026, at the annual Stakeholders' Workshop held in Abuja. During the event, allocation letters were officially handed over to the heads of beneficiary schools.
Each university in the country will receive a sum of ₦2,525,932,228.02. This allocation is uniform, applying to all universities irrespective of their age, student population, or size. Polytechnics are slated to get ₦1,871,059,920.53 per institution, while each College of Education will be funded with ₦2,056,527,973.04.
Echono clarified that these direct disbursements make up approximately 90.75% of the total intervention funds. This comprises the 50% annual direct disbursement and a 43.75% special direct disbursement component.
Focus on Infrastructure, Research, and Digital Integration
The primary objective of this substantial funding is to drive a comprehensive transformation across the tertiary education landscape. The money is earmarked to fortify essential physical infrastructure, upgrade academic programmes, and significantly boost research and innovation outputs.
A notable new addition to the 2026 intervention portfolio is the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN). This initiative is designed to enhance access to international academic resources and will integrate the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) platform.
"With these investments, 2026 promises to be a year of growth, innovation, and measurable impact," Echono stated confidently during his address.
Sustained Support for Research and Accountability
Beyond the headline allocations, TETFund outlined continued support for several critical areas. The agency plans to keep equipping and modernising Research & Development offices, laboratories, and workshops. Partnerships with the private sector will be strengthened to improve student exposure programmes, and efforts will be made to complete long-abandoned projects across various campuses.
Research remains a top priority, with sustained backing for the National Research Fund (NRF) and the Research Meets Industry scheme, which aims to commercialise research findings. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development also retains its status as a key focus area.
Echono provided updates on physical projects, revealing that several research laboratories are currently under construction. Four of these labs are expected to be finalized within the year, with two more scheduled for completion in 2027. In the agricultural sector, large university farms are being converted to modern greenhouse facilities with upgraded equipment to boost productivity.
The TETFund boss concluded by emphasising the importance of transparency and performance. He urged institutional leaders to ensure the full and proper utilisation of their 2025 allocations, noting that assessments are ongoing. The results of these assessments will directly influence future discretionary budget allocations, making institutional performance a key determinant for additional funding.
