The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, issued a stern warning to Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and other academic heads, stating that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) will cease funding underperforming institutions established under its Centre of Excellence program eight years ago.
Mamman emphasized that the government will no longer tolerate complacency and will not continue to allocate funds to institutions failing to fulfill their academic responsibilities.
Speaking at the reception of two reports on TETFund’s Centres of Excellence and Skills Development Special Intervention, Mamman highlighted the government’s commitment to encouraging scholars to deliver world-class scholarship and emphasized the importance of equipping institutions to provide high-quality skills essential for national and international standards.
Arc Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, echoed the minister’s sentiments, stressing that funds would no longer be disbursed to centres failing to meet expectations. He cited instances where some centres had funds with TETFund but had not accessed them due to delays in meeting milestones.
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Echono outlined the strategy behind establishing centres of excellence, aiming to concentrate resources on improving select facilities to foster research and scholarship at the highest level.
While acknowledging the success of some centres in innovation and research, Echono expressed concern over non-performing institutions and emphasized the need for accountability and improvement.
The reports presented by ad hoc committees recommended measures to ensure proper utilization of funds, including direct disbursement to Centre of Excellence accounts and full-time assignment of Centre Directors.
Furthermore, the committees proposed a six-month moratorium for underperforming centres to refocus and achieve their mandate before revisiting their funding status.
In line with TETFund’s Special Intervention program, recommendations were made for polytechnics across different regions, aiming to enhance skills development and educational standards nationwide.
