Katsina: The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced the receipt of ₦1.6 trillion for nationwide interventions aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s tertiary education system and addressing critical gaps in healthcare training.
Chairman of the TETFund Governing Board and former Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, disclosed the development during a press briefing with journalists in Katsina on Sunday.
He described the allocation as the highest ever received by the Fund, sourced from the three per cent education tax levied on company profits, following the TETFund Act.
Masari revealed that ₦460 billion—representing 40 per cent of the total sum—has been earmarked for direct interventions across tertiary institutions. Under the initiative, three institutions per state—one university, one polytechnic, and one college of education—will benefit from the funding.
“These interventions are demand-driven,” Masari explained. “Institutions submit proposals based on their needs, and we approve projects according to available resources.”
In addition to institutional support, ₦225 billion has been allocated to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to support the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
An additional ₦70 billion has been allocated to support the development of solar and gas-powered energy solutions in tertiary institutions. In comparison, ₦25 billion will be used to enhance campus security through infrastructure such as street lighting.
Masari also highlighted a strategic investment of over ₦100 billion to bolster medical sciences training across the country. He said the initiative is part of a broader effort to address the shortage of healthcare professionals, a concern raised by President Bola Tinubu amid the growing exodus of skilled medical workers.
“The President is deeply concerned about the brain drain in the healthcare sector,” Masari said. “This intervention is a deliberate policy response to rebuild capacity and improve healthcare delivery.”
To that end, three tertiary institutions in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have received ₦4 billion each to expand medical sciences programs and infrastructure. The goal, according to Masari, is to double the number of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians in the country.
Masari emphasised that TETFund’s interventions are implemented annually at both state and zonal levels, ensuring equitable distribution of resources through high-impact projects.
He assured the public that the Fund maintains a rigorous monitoring and evaluation framework, supported by consultants, to guarantee that disbursed funds are used strictly for approved purposes.
“This is about building a stronger, more resilient education and healthcare system for Nigeria,” he concluded.
