House of Reps pledges to ease TETFUND access for tertiary institutions
House of Reps pledges to ease TETFUND access for tertiary institutions
The House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has vowed to revise regulations that have prevented some institutions from accessing essential development funds.
This was announced by the committee’s chairperson, Princess Miriam Onuoha, during an oversight visit to Lagos State on Monday.
Addressing the press at the State House in Alausa, Ikeja, Onuoha revealed that Lagos State institutions, including Lagos State University (LASU), have failed to access approximately N4.4 billion from TETFUND between 2017 and 2023.
She attributed the unaccessed funds to stringent regulations and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational activities.
The committee has committed to collaborating with TETFUND and affected institutions to amend these regulations and ensure the funds can be accessed to bridge technological and infrastructural gaps.
Onuoha emphasized the importance of using taxpayer money judiciously to benefit Nigerian students and institutions.
During their visit, the committee also met with Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who appealed for an increased TETFUND allocation, highlighting that Lagos now has three universities compared to just one previously.
Onuoha remarked, “We are here on a working visit to the Lagos State governor and his cabinet to discuss the accumulated unaccessed TETFUND intervention for affected institutions from 2017 to 2023. We found that some institutions were behind in accessing the TETFUND intervention allocated to build infrastructural gaps in tertiary institutions.”
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The committee aims to support tertiary institutions in accessing the funds, despite inflation eroding their value over time. Onuoha stressed the need for institutions to meet compliance guidelines to utilize the funds effectively.
Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hon Tolani Sule, expressed gratitude to the committee for addressing the regulatory challenges that hinder fund access.
He noted that the interaction had highlighted the difficulties institutions faced, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and expressed optimism about improved access moving forward. (Westernpost)
