Kehinde Fajobi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ibadan Zone, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to shield Nigeria’s education sector from the adverse effects of policies associated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
ASUU, representing institutions like the University of Ibadan and University of Ilorin, raised these concerns at a press conference on Monday over the proposal to replace the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) with the National Education and Learning Fund (NELFUND).
The Zonal Coordinator, Professor Oyegoke Oyebamiji, said TETFund has been pivotal in improving the infrastructure and academic standards of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
“TETFund, born from the advocacy of this very union, has been instrumental in fostering academic excellence, promoting groundbreaking research, and equipping our laboratories and libraries,” he stated.
He criticised the proposed changes, describing the replacement of TETFund as “cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face,” warning it would harm Nigeria’s educational system.
The union decried provisions in the 2024 Public Benefit and Taxation Bill (PBTB), which propose allocating only 50% of the Education Tax Development Levy to TETFund in 2025 and 2026, with the rest diverted to unrelated agencies.
Professor Oyebamiji labelled this diversion illegal, adding that it undermines public education funding already suffering from decades of neglect.
He also criticised the government for allocating only 7% of the national budget to education, far below the 15% campaign promise and UNESCO’s 20% recommendation.
“With projections showing the cessation of TETFund by 2030, such reductions spell disaster for public universities,” he warned.
ASUU noted that while Ghana has adopted Nigeria’s TETFund model by creating the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Nigeria risks dismantling the very agency sustaining its universities for over three decades.
The union outlined several consequences if TETFund is abolished, including the loss of critical funding, disruption of projects, reduced research output, increased financial burdens on students, loss of university autonomy, and potential job cuts for TETFund employees.
It called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to abandon the proposed changes and strengthen TETFund instead to secure the future of tertiary education in Nigeria.
The conference was attended by representatives from ASUU chapters in the Ibadan Zone, including Prof. Ayoola Akinwole (University of Ibadan) and Dr. Alex Akanmu (University of Ilorin).