TETFund Centres of Excellence (TCoEs) receive intervention funds, but no additional funding in the 2021 Budget as Promised

The House of Representatives pledged in the revised legislative agenda document to partner with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in its bid to further strengthen the 12 Federal Universities that were designated as ‘TETFund Centres of Excellence (TCoEs)’ through additional funding for scientific research in the 2021 budget seems to have hit the rock despite the disbursement of the initial funds to the universities.

In November 2020, the Executive Secretary of TETFund announced a grant of one billion naira (N1 billion) each for five years to 12 selected universities during the inauguration. Through this fund, the TETFund Executive Director noted that “each selected institution is expected to implement its own approved TCOE, with the objective to address a specific national development challenge through the preparation of professionals, applied research and associated outreach activities to partner, especially community services.”

Promise: Initiate a partnership with the TETFUND to strengthen the 12 Federal Universities designated as ‘Centres of Excellence’ with a special focus on scientific research through adequate funding in the 2021 Budget.

In a special release on its website, TETFund noted that the TCoEs intervention was considered in its 2020 intervention budget while an additional 12 TCoEs made of six (6) Polytechnics and Colleges of Education were subsequently considered in its 2021 intervention budget. 

In consolidating the efforts of TETFund, the Gbajabiamila-led House of Representatives had promised to make additional funds available for research in these 12 institutions in the country’s 2021 budget. However, only three (3) of the selected 12 institutions designated had additional budgetary allocation in the signed 2021 budget for the federal republic of Nigeria.

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University had a new budgetary allocation of about ₦139.6 million for ‘Procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of teaching and research equipment’ while the University of Jos also recorded a new budgetary allocation for ‘Teaching and Research Equipment for various departments.’ In the same vein, the University of Benin received about ₦41million budgeted for the Procurement of Teaching and Research Equipment.’ 

At most, significant progress was made in making additional funds available to the designated 12 Federal Universities for TCoEs. But the inability of the legislators to completely ensure additional funding for all 12 universities is enough for this promise to earn a “Compromise”.

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