N647bn TETFund Funding To Drive AI, Robotics, Research In Tertiary Institutions

Over N647bn will be distributed to 271 institutions in the 2026 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) disbursement to fund various initiatives this year, THE WHISTLER can report.

Recall that TETFund disclosed that it will disburse N2.525bn to each university, while polytechnics will receive N1.871bn each and Colleges of Education will receive N2.056bn each.

The 271 institutions comprise 132 Universities( 80 Federal and 52 State Universities) 82 Polytechnics ( 36 Federal and 46 State Polytechnics) and 79 Colleges of Education (28 Federal, 47 State and 4 Inter language).

Findings THE WHISTLER revealed that universities will receive N333.4bn, Polytechnics, N153.4bn while Colleges of Education will receive N160.4bn, making it a total of N647bn.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono, had while announcing the disbursement at the strategic workshop with Heads Of Institutions, stated that the allocation is part of the 2026 disbursement guidelines, with 90.75 percent of the fund designated for direct disbursement.

This also includes 50 percent as annual direct disbursement, 40.75 percent as special direct disbursement, 9.07 percent for designated projects and 0.18 percent for stabilization funds.

He also disclosed that the funds are meant to strengthen critical physical infrastructure, enhance academic programmes, boost research and innovation, and drive overall transformation in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

“These funds are meant to strengthen critical physical infrastructure, enhance academic programmes, boost research and innovation, and drive overall transformation in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

“Furthermore, to strengthen the quality and impact of research in our beneficiary institutions, the Fund has introduced a new Intervention Line in the Year 2026 annual direct intervention, which is the Nigerian Research and Education Network.

This new intervention line aims to improve access to global academic resources and to integrate the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services platform into NgREN with effect from 2026 Intervention.

“We are also expanding the Special intervention projects to cover the establishment of the Centers for Robotics, Coding & AI Machine Learning, and Centre for Cybersecurity Studies in selected beneficiary institutions. Additional 12 beneficiary institutions shall benefit from the commercial farm project these will be two universities, eight polytechnics and two colleges of education.

“The Fund has sustained its equipping & upgrade of R&D offices in beneficiary institutions and shall continue the development of student hostel project through Public–Private Partnerships.

“We are also sustaining our intervention in addressing security infrastructure and training, completing long-abandoned projects, and strengthening disaster recovery measures.

“Research and innovation remain a priority, with support for the National Research Fund, institutional R&D partnerships, the Research-meets-Industry initiative, and commercialization of research outcomes amongst others.

“Laboratory and agricultural development will receive a major boost. We are enhancing the ongoing multipurpose laboratory projects, setting up two new ones, and creating new agricultural laboratories and demonstration farms.

“Our ICT roadmap will be further strengthened with expanded digital services, ICT Experience Centers, subscription-based internet access, and the continued advancement of the Tertiary Education Research Application Services, TERAS,” Echono said.