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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced plans to scrutinise the management of funds allocated to public universities through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), citing concerns over accountability and utilisation of the interventions.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the public presentation of 72 TETFund-sponsored academic textbooks.
Piwuna said the move aims to promote transparency and ensure that allocations meant for critical projects are properly utilised.
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“Yes, there has been significant funding provided to universities in recent years. However, it is important to ensure that such funds are effectively utilised for the purposes they were intended,” he said.
He added that ASUU would soon conduct a comprehensive review of TETFund-supported projects and interventions in universities.
The ASUU president also expressed concern about the performance of several Centres of Excellence funded through TETFund, noting that some of them may not be delivering outcomes that match the level of investment.
He said the recent addition of six new Centres of Excellence to the existing 30 highlights the need for closer oversight and evaluation of their activities.
“We believe there should be closer scrutiny of how TETFund interventions are implemented, especially in the Centres of Excellence, to ensure that the objectives of the programme are achieved,” he said.
Responding, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, welcomed ASUU’s position and expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to work with the union to strengthen transparency and accountability in the management of funds allocated to tertiary institutions.
Alausa emphasised the importance of responsible financial management in universities and called for stronger oversight mechanisms to ensure that public funds are used appropriately.
He assured that the government would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to improve accountability in the utilisation of TETFund resources.
More than 1,000 teachers in Abia State have received health education training under a UNESCO partnership that officials say demonstrates how targeted international collaboration can reshape struggling education systems, even as Nigeria grapples with millions of children locked out of classrooms nationwide.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation praised Governor Alex Otti’s administration Tuesday for reforms it said are building a foundation for improved learning outcomes, citing infrastructure upgrades, fiscal discipline and a 20 percent budget allocation for education that exceeds what many Nigerian states commit to schools.
Dr Jean-Paul Ngome-Abiaga, UNESCO’s head of office and country representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, led a delegation to Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area where he outlined collaboration spanning teacher training, community engagement and school-level interventions since the governor launched the Abia First Education Programme.
The partnership has reached more than 700 community and religious leaders on HIV and health awareness while involving over 300 schools in the state program, according to Ngome-Abiaga, who said visible results from Otti’s reforms had emerged since 2023.
“We would like to continue to support you in that very important agenda,” he said, urging deeper collaboration and expanded budgetary provisions for health education.
UNESCO stands ready to provide technical expertise and institutional support in designing and implementing programs across education, health and other areas within its mandate, Ngome-Abiaga said. He emphasized the organization’s availability to assist Abia whenever support is needed.
“We are here for you. We are here to assist you, to support your work,” he said. “We will put all our technical expertise at your disposal in any area you need it.”
Olapeju Ibekwe, chief executive of Sterling One Foundation, highlighted the Africa Social Impact Summit as a platform convened with the UN system in Nigeria to accelerate achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The summit, launched in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic, promotes partnerships among government, private sector entities and development organizations.
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That initiative has unlocked more than $100 million in development financing, Ibekwe said.
She also described the Business Coalition for Education, launched with the Office of the Vice President to tackle Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis through private sector participation.
Ibekwe invited Otti to the summit scheduled for July 22-23 at Lagos’s Eko Convention Centre and pressed Abia to join as a pioneer public sector partner in the coalition.
Otti said his government could not refuse what he characterized as essential requests: partnership, support to reduce out-of-school numbers and calls for greater health education investment. “Those are good, and they are imperative for a government that is serious,” he said.
The governor said Abia devotes 15 percent of its budget to health alongside the education allocation. His administration introduced free and compulsory schooling after determining that fees were keeping children away, a policy shift that triggered enrollment surges and forced the government to recruit thousands of teachers.
That expansion prompted massive school reconstruction, introduction of smart schools, curriculum standardization and improved security for facilities, Otti said. He assured the delegation Abia would continue working closely with UNESCO and other partners to strengthen education and shrink out-of-school populations.
Nigeria faces one of the world’s largest education crises, with an estimated 20 million children not attending school—the highest number globally. Poverty, insecurity, cultural practices and inadequate infrastructure have combined to keep millions locked out of classrooms, particularly in northern regions where poverty rates are highest and insurgent violence has displaced entire communities.
