ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has revealed a disturbing situation involving a polytechnic in the Southeast region that receives billions of naira in annual intervention funds despite having a remarkably low student enrollment of just 30.

 

Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, made this startling disclosure today in Abuja during the 2025 one-day strategic interactive workshop for heads of institutions, bursars, and heads of procurement of TETFund beneficiary institutions, as reported by The Guardian.

Describing the situation as both “shocking and embarrassing,” Echono stated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has already commenced an investigation into the matter.

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While the Executive Secretary refrained from naming the specific polytechnic, he did mention that the institution was established four years ago.

“I was so embarrassed when it was brought to my attention that a particular polytechnic in the South East that has been there for four years has only 30 students,” Echono stated.

He further elaborated on the incongruity of the situation, highlighting the high number of Southeast students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

 

“The Southeast of all places where if you go to any state including the Northern region, you will see students from the Southeast in those institutions, yet this was put at their doorstep, and they have only 30 students and they have been accessing all their annual disbursements.”

 

Echono expressed his dismay at the financial implications. “We (TETFund) are disbursing billions (to the institution). And who are the people they are spending the money on? We describe it as waste of money. It is so bad that EFCC is on it. I was shocked and I didn’t realise that it was that bad,” he said.

He issued a strong warning that tertiary institutions that fail to effectively access, utilize, or account for funds, or those that do not meet stipulated enrollment and academic performance standards, risk losing their eligibility for TETFund’s crucial support programmes.

 

Clarifying the intent behind this policy, Echono emphasized that it is aimed at safeguarding the integrity and effectiveness of the Fund’s interventions, rather than punishing institutions.

“Let me be clear: institutions that consistently fail to access, utilize, or retire funds appropriately, or that fall short of enrollment and academic performance thresholds, risk being delisted as TETFund beneficiary institutions,” he asserted.

 

Echono also announced that TETFund has allocated over N70 billion for alternative power sources, specifically solar and hybrid power, for beneficiary institutions this year.
He noted the significant annual funding provided by the Fund, with polytechnics typically receiving approximately N1.165 billion, comprising N1.015 billion in direct disbursement and N150 million for zonal intervention projects.

 

In separate goodwill messages, representatives from the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) commended TETFund for its significant achievements and contributions to the advancement of tertiary education in Nigeria, underscoring its positive impact on the nation’s educational sector.