• Union cites concerns over supervision gaps, urges closer scrutiny of interventions
By Muhammad Baqir
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has signaled its intention to investigate how university vice-chancellors and governing councils have utilized allocations from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), raising questions about transparency in the management of resources meant for academic development.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, disclosed the union’s plans on Wednesday in Abuja during the public presentation of 72 academic textbooks sponsored by TETFund.
Speaking before an audience of academics and education stakeholders, Piwuna expressed concern over what he described as lapses in the supervision and implementation of some TETFund-funded interventions.
“Yes, there has been significant funding provided to universities in recent years. However, it is important to ensure that such funds are effectively utilised for the purposes they were intended,” Piwuna said.
The union leader announced that a comprehensive review of TETFund-supported projects across Nigerian universities would soon be undertaken, with particular attention to how allocated funds have been expended by institutional leadership.
Piwuna specifically raised concerns about the performance of Centres of Excellence established through TETFund intervention, noting that some may not be delivering outcomes commensurate with the level of investment. With the recent addition of six new Centres of Excellence to the existing 30, he argued that closer oversight has become imperative.
“We believe there should be closer scrutiny of how TETFund interventions are implemented, especially in the Centres of Excellence, to ensure that the objectives of the programme are achieved,” he added.
In a notable development, the Federal Government signaled its alignment with ASUU’s position. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who was present at the event, welcomed the union’s planned probe and pledged government cooperation in strengthening accountability mechanisms.
Alausa emphasized the importance of responsible financial stewardship within the university system and called for enhanced oversight structures to ensure public funds serve their intended purposes. He assured stakeholders that the government would work collaboratively with ASUU and other actors to improve transparency in the utilization of TETFund resources.