The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to collaborate with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to investigate allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement involving vice-chancellors of public universities across the country.
The move follows growing concerns over the handling of intervention funds disbursed through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which provides critical financial support for infrastructure development, research, staff training, and academic programmes in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.
ASUU President Chris Piwuna disclosed the development during the public presentation of 72 academic textbooks sponsored through TETFund interventions in Abuja. According to him, the union has observed troubling signs suggesting that some university administrators may have mismanaged funds allocated for educational development.
Piwuna stated that while Nigerian universities have received substantial financial support through TETFund in recent years, there are increasing concerns about whether the funds are being properly utilised by some institutional leaders.
He warned that the union would soon begin a comprehensive scrutiny of how TETFund allocations have been managed across universities, stressing that vice-chancellors and university management teams must be prepared to account for the funds entrusted to them.
According to the ASUU president, some university administrators allegedly treat TETFund allocations as routine yearly disbursements rather than targeted interventions tied to specific development projects. He noted that in some cases, funds meant for approved projects are reportedly diverted to other purposes, while institutions continue to seek new allocations without fully accounting for previous ones.
Piwuna added that ASUU would soon “turn its searchlight” on university managements to ensure greater transparency in the use of intervention funds and to safeguard resources meant to strengthen Nigeria’s higher education system.
The union also raised concerns about the performance of several TETFund Centres of Excellence established in universities across the country. While the programme was designed to promote advanced research and innovation, ASUU believes some centres have not delivered results proportional to the substantial investments committed to them.
Currently, about 30 such centres have been established nationwide, with the Federal Government recently approving the creation of six additional centres. However, ASUU says there is an urgent need to evaluate whether these institutions are achieving the objectives for which they were created.
Responding to the concerns raised by the union, Nigeria’s Minister of Education Tunji Alausa expressed support for the planned scrutiny of university administrators.
The minister emphasised the need for stronger financial accountability within tertiary institutions, warning that public funds allocated for education must be managed responsibly and transparently.
He noted that the government would not tolerate situations where university administrators manage public institutions “like personal empires,” stressing that strict oversight mechanisms must be strengthened to ensure that intervention funds are used strictly for their intended purposes.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund plays a vital role in Nigeria’s higher education sector. The agency is financed through a dedicated education tax imposed on companies operating in the country and is responsible for funding major infrastructure projects, research grants, staff development programmes, and academic publications in public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Over the years, TETFund interventions have supported the construction of lecture theatres, laboratories, libraries, research centres, and student accommodation facilities across Nigerian campuses.
However, the growing concerns about how these funds are managed have sparked renewed debate about governance and accountability within the country’s university system.
