The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has vehemently opposed the federal government’s proposal to phase out the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) by 2030, citing catastrophic consequences for public tertiary institutions and education in Nigeria.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU National President, expressed the union’s concerns regarding the Nigeria Tax Reform Bill 2024, currently under consideration by the National Assembly.

The bill aims to consolidate various taxation frameworks.
Osodeke noted that the proposed bill allocates 50% of Development Levy to TETFund in 2025-2026, decreasing to 66.7% in 2027-2029, and eventually eliminating funding by 2030.

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This phased elimination would force public tertiary institutions to increase tuition fees, making education unaffordable for the poor.
“The government is saying TETFund should cease to exist,” Osodeke said.

“With all the Development Levy going to the Student Loan Scheme, public tertiary institutions will be forced to increase tuition fees, which will be exorbitant.”

He emphasized that TETFund’s contributions have prevented many institutions from collapsing due to lack of basic facilities. “If you go to our public tertiary institutions, you would know that if not for the Fund, many would have collapsed,” Osodeke added.

The ASUU president appealed to the federal government to reconsider the proposal, highlighting TETFund’s crucial role in maintaining standards in higher educational institutions.