Reps To Probe Quality Of TETFund Projects In Universities

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the standard and quality of completed and ongoing projects executed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in tertiary institutions across Nigeria, to ensure value for money and accountability.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Aderemi Oseni (APC, Oyo), who urged the House to scrutinise the implementation of TETFund projects and address the declining state of infrastructure in Nigeria’s first-generation universities.

In its resolution, the House directed the Federal Ministries of Education and Finance, the National Universities Commission (NUC), TETFund, and relevant development partners to develop modalities for refurbishing the first-generation universities to restore their former glory and quality.

Leading the debate, Oseni lamented that Nigeria’s first-generation universities—such as the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria—which once ranked among the best in the world, have suffered years of neglect and infrastructural decay.

“In the early 1960s, our universities exuded glory, glamour, and class. They attracted foreign students and international recognition. Unfortunately, these institutions have lost that reputation due to decades of neglect and the abandonment of critical infrastructure,” Oseni said.

He expressed concern that the deterioration of lecture halls, hostels, auditoriums, and other facilities has worsened, while university zoos that once drew tourists have become empty or extinct.

The lawmaker further alleged that many TETFund intervention projects, initiated to bridge the infrastructure gap in the tertiary education sector, were of poor quality, with newly completed structures deteriorating faster than those built over six decades ago.

“There is a need for the Federal Government to refurbish the first-generation universities and investigate the quality of TETFund projects to ensure value for money,” he added.

The House mandated its Committee on Tertiary Education and Services to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the quality and implementation of TETFund-funded projects across tertiary institutions and report back for further legislative action.