ASUU warns the Nigerian government against replacing TETFund with NELFUND, stating that it would destabilize public universities. ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, highlights TETFund’s critical role in funding university infrastructure and urges alternative funding sources for NELFUND to protect Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised alarm over the Federal Government's plan to replace the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), warning that such a move would cripple public universities in Nigeria. ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, argued that TETFund has been the cornerstone of university funding for over 30 years and its removal would destabilize the education sector.
During an interview on Channels Television, Osodeke criticized the proposed shift, claiming it was part of a larger strategy to undermine public universities and disenfranchise children from poor families. He noted that TETFund has been pivotal in building infrastructure in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, with over 90% of physical structures in these institutions funded by TETFund.
Osodeke further criticized the tax bills introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, pointing out that key education stakeholders, including ASUU and university leaders, were not consulted. He also expressed concerns that merging TETFund with agencies like NASENI and NITDA, as proposed, would weaken its effectiveness and eventually phase it out by 2030.
The ASUU president called on the government to find alternative funding sources for NELFUND, suggesting the allocation of 1% or 2% of Value Added Tax (VAT) rather than redirecting funds from TETFund. He emphasized that dismantling TETFund would reverse the progress made in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
