The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has issued a strong warning to beneficiary institutions with delayed intervention projects, declaring that institutions that fail to complete outstanding projects will not be allowed to initiate new ones under the 2027 intervention allocation.
The decision was announced by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of TETFund, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, as part of a new set of measures aimed at addressing the persistent problem of abandoned and delayed projects across tertiary institutions.
Director, Public Affairs, TETFund, Mr. Abdulmumin Oniyangi, conveyed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
ALSO READ: HBM Nigeria’s profit hits N208bn as margins widen
Masari noted that although several institutions had cited challenges such as the rising cost of construction materials, including cement, reinforcement bars, sanitary and electrical fittings, the Fund had already introduced a dedicated intervention line in 2023 to support the completion of distressed projects.
According to him, the initiative has yielded positive results, with many previously stalled projects now completed. However, he expressed concern over the continued failure of some beneficiary institutions to adhere to approved project timelines.
He identified lack of continuity in project implementation by successive heads of institutions, who often abandon ongoing projects in favour of new ones, as well as delays in processing payments to contractors, as major factors responsible for the recurring problem.
The BoT chairman stressed that TETFund-sponsored projects must not be undermined by internal bureaucracy or institutional politics, insisting that all approved interventions must be completed within stipulated timelines.
To address the challenge permanently, the Board approved a number of immediate measures for implementation by all beneficiary institutions.
Under the new directive, institutions are required to compile a comprehensive list of all projects that have exceeded their planned completion period by more than six months, indicating the causes of the delays and proposing practical remedies.
They are also expected to rank the projects according to relevance and priority, while providing detailed cost estimates required for their completion.
In addition, beneficiary institutions have been directed to establish robust project supervision teams with active participation of their Physical Planning and Maintenance Departments to ensure timely delivery, cost efficiency and compliance with approved quality standards.
The Board further directed that institutions with delayed projects must prioritize their completion using their Annual, Zonal and High Impact Intervention allocations.
“As a consequence, no new projects will be admitted from the identified beneficiary institutions for the 2027 Intervention Cycle until the outstanding projects are completed,” the Board stated.
To ensure compliance, TETFund said monitoring teams comprising members of the Board of Trustees and technical staff of the Fund will conduct on-the-spot assessments of affected projects and evaluate completion plans submitted by beneficiary institutions.
The assessment exercise is scheduled to take place between August and September 2026 ahead of the Board’s statutory meeting in October 2026, where projects to be admitted into the 2027 disbursement guidelines will be considered.
The Fund said the measures are intended to promote accountability, improve project delivery, and ensure that public resources invested in tertiary education infrastructure achieve their intended objectives.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV