Gambia Models New Higher Education Trust Fund on Nigeria’s TETFund, Announces Abuja Study Tour
Gambia Models New Higher Education Trust Fund on Nigeria’s TETFund, Announces Abuja Study Tour
…the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology of The Gambia, Hon. Prof. Pierre Gomez (Head of Delegation) and members of his delegation here at TETFund for a working visit to Understudy TETFund.
The Government of the Republic of The Gambia has finalized plans to undertake a comprehensive study tour of Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as part of efforts to operationalize its newly established Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund.
Gambia’s Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Prof. Pierre Gomez, announced the initiative on Monday during a high-level visit to TETFund Headquarters in Abuja.
Leading a delegation to meet with TETFund Executive Secretary Arc. Sonny Echono, Gomez revealed that The Gambia created its THET Fund as a direct replica of Nigeria’s educational intervention agency to provide targeted support to its own higher institutions.
Gomez explained that Gambian authorities have spent years tracking TETFund’s operations and achievements online and through media channels, recognizing the model as a crucial blueprint for addressing funding gaps in tertiary education.
He emphasized that partnering with TETFund in key areas such as academic research and capacity building will drive educational growth while deepening bilateral and diplomatic relations between the two West African nations.
Welcoming the delegation, Echono detailed the evolution of TETFund from its early days as the Education Trust Fund (ETF). He recalled that the agency was established over three decades ago in response to a critical crisis in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, requiring the Federal Government and stakeholders to create a dedicated alternative funding structure.
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Echono noted that the agency’s funding base, traditionally powered by an Education Tax levied on corporate profits, was further expanded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in 2026 through the introduction of a new Development Levy.
He highlighted that TETFund’s interventions remain focused on public tertiary institutions, prioritizing essential physical infrastructure, instructional materials, equipment, research publication, and academic staff development to maintain academic standards.
The visiting Gambian delegation also featured key government representatives, including MoHERST Permanent Secretary Ms. Isatou Auber, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical) Dr. Samba Sowe, and Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Project Coordinator Ms. Ndey Anta Taal.
