CPA scores TETFund, pass vote of confidence on Echono

The Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) has scored Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) high on service delivery and impact in the educational sector, and unanimously passed vote of confidence on the Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, over his visionary leadership and performance.

Addressing journalists and stakeholders at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, the organisation disclosed that the endorsement followed months of extensive investigative and monitoring activities carried out nationwide into the operations, intervention programmes, and institutional performance of TETFund under the leadership of the Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono.

According to the CPA, the exercise formed part of its broader mandate as a civil society organisation committed to promoting transparency, accountability, prudent management of public resources, institutional efficiency, and effective service delivery within government agencies and public institutions.

The organisation during the conference presided over by the Executive Director, Comrade Olufemi Lawson and Director on Research and Development, Ganzallo Gbenga, revealed that independent monitors, researchers, procurement observers, policy analysts, education experts, and field investigators were deployed across the six geopolitical zones to assess the implementation of TETFund projects, evaluate compliance with statutory responsibilities, examine transparency in fund administration, and determine the fairness in the distribution and execution of projects among beneficiary institutions.

CPA stated that after engaging management teams of tertiary institutions, academic staff unions, student representatives, contractors, host communities, and regulatory agencies, it reached informed conclusions based on verifiable evidence and publicly available records.

The Centre noted that TETFund has remained a strategic pillar in the development of tertiary education in Nigeria since its establishment under the TETFund Act of 2011. It added that the agency has continued to support infrastructural development, staff training, research funding, institutional capacity building, and academic excellence in public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.

According to the findings presented, TETFund disbursed over ₦1.8 trillion in intervention funds between 2011 and 2024. Of this amount, universities reportedly received over ₦918 billion, polytechnics over ₦461 billion, while colleges of education received more than ₦458 billion.

The Centre further disclosed that over 152,000 infrastructural projects have been executed nationwide through TETFund interventions. These projects include lecture theatres, senate buildings, classrooms, ICT centres, laboratories, libraries, hostels, workshops, entrepreneurship centres, innovation hubs, faculty buildings, and research facilities.

CPA also highlighted significant interventions in the areas of academic staff development, research and innovation support, digital transformation, library development, entrepreneurship training, and special direct interventions addressing strategic educational needs.

The organisation commended TETFund for sustaining local and international postgraduate training programmes for lecturers and researchers, as well as funding conferences, workshops, manuscript development, journal publications, and innovation-driven research initiatives aimed at supporting Nigeria’s knowledge economy.

On digital transformation, the Centre observed that TETFund has continued to strengthen ICT infrastructure within tertiary institutions through interventions targeted at e-learning systems, internet connectivity, smart classrooms, and digital administration.

CPA further noted that despite prevailing economic challenges, inflationary pressures, exchange rate fluctuations, and rising project costs, the agency has maintained commendable institutional responsiveness and continued intervention activities nationwide.

The organisation stated that recent intervention allocations reflected a structured and relatively transparent framework, noting that in the 2025 intervention cycle, universities reportedly received approximately ₦2.8 billion each, while polytechnics and colleges of education received about ₦1.9 billion and ₦2.1 billion respectively.

While acknowledging that no public institution is entirely free from operational challenges, the Centre stressed the need for continued improvements in procurement processes, project monitoring, execution timelines, compliance mechanisms, and accountability systems.

However, CPA maintained that its evidence-based assessment showed that the current management of TETFund has demonstrated commitment to the implementation of the Fund’s statutory mandate, stakeholder engagement, and institutional reforms.

Consequently, the organisation formally passed a vote of confidence on the management and Board of TETFund led by Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, and Chairman of the Board, Aminu Bello Masari.

According to the Centre, the endorsement was based on evident infrastructural improvements across beneficiary institutions, expansion of academic and research support programmes, sustained intervention funding despite economic constraints, improved strategic planning, and relative transparency in intervention allocation and implementation processes.

CPA nevertheless urged TETFund to further strengthen its monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure that approved projects are executed efficiently, transparently, and within stipulated timelines. It also advised beneficiary institutions to uphold accountability standards, avoid project abandonment, and ensure prudent utilisation of intervention funds.

The organisation reiterated its commitment to sustained independent monitoring of government institutions and agencies through evidence-based assessments aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, institutional efficiency, and quality service delivery.

It further called on stakeholders in the education sector, including government agencies, tertiary institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, the media, and students’ bodies, to collaborate towards advancing tertiary education in Nigeria.

The Centre emphasised that education remains critical to national development, economic growth, innovation, social stability, and global competitiveness, adding that all genuine efforts aimed at strengthening the sector deserve objective scrutiny and patriotic support.

CPA also commended members of the media for their continued role in promoting accountability and democratic governance in Nigeria and encouraged journalists to continue discharging their constitutional responsibilities professionally and responsibly.

The statement concluded with prayers for the peace and progress of Nigeria.