TETFund allocates N70bn mini grid project to 18 tertiary institutions to ensure stable, cost-effective power supply across campuses.

The announcement was made in Uyo on Friday by Aboh Uduyok, Board of Trustees (BOT) member for the South South zone, during the 2025 town hall meeting with TETFund beneficiary institutions.

Also read: TETFund Empowers Youth with Poultry Training in Bauchi State

According to Uduyok, the Mini Grid Power Project will provide sustainable energy solutions to selected institutions nationwide.

“This bold step will ensure a stable, cost-effective and renewable electricity supply to campuses, thereby reducing operational costs and enhancing research and learning,” he said.

He explained that several South South tertiary institutions are also beneficiaries of TETFund’s 2025 Disaster Recovery Intervention projects, including the Federal University of Science and Technology, Ikot Abasi; Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri; Admiralty University, Ibusa; Niger Delta University, Wilberforce; and the University of Cross River State.

The BOT member further urged institutions to adopt a culture of maintenance, stressing the importance of partnership and transparency in project execution.

Delivering a paper titled TETFund and the Future of Tertiary Education in Nigeria, Ntia Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Carsem Consult Limited, commended the agency’s interventions but called for a needs-based allocation formula.

He recommended the creation of a South South Innovation Window to drive research into practical products.

Stakeholders at the meeting, however, appealed for an increase in education tax, arguing that the current 3 per cent rate remains inadequate.

They also questioned the establishment of a special desk for the Ministry of Education within TETFund, describing it as “monitoring spirits.”

Meanwhile, Dr Moses Umoessien, Rector of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, urged TETFund to authorise one university in each state to run postgraduate programmes for polytechnic lecturers.

Also read: OOU VC urges the Federal Government not to roll out TETFund in spite of NELFund

He argued this would help staff comply with the National Board for Technical Education’s directive requiring all polytechnic lecturers to obtain master’s degrees or risk conversion to non-teaching staff.