Gambia to understudy TETFund as country seeks stronger tertiary education financing

The Government of The Gambia has announced plans to send officials of its newly established Tertiary and Higher Education Trust Fund to Nigeria to understudy the operations of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

The Gambian Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Prof. Pierre Gomez, disclosed this on Monday when he led a delegation to meet the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement issued by TETFund.

Gomez said the proposed study tour would enable officials of the Gambian fund to learn from TETFund’s experience in financing tertiary education, research, infrastructure and capacity development.

According to him, “Gambian authorities had followed TETFund’s activities and achievements through its website, social media platforms and other media channels, prompting the country to establish a similar financing mechanism for its higher education system.”

He said the visit was also aimed at seeking TETFund’s assistance and cooperation as the Gambian fund develops its operations.

The minister stressed the importance of collaboration between the two institutions, particularly in research and capacity development, saying such cooperation would strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and The Gambia.

Gomez was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Isatou Auber; Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical), Dr Samba Sowe; and Project Coordinator, CPCU, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ndey Anta Taal.

Responding, Echono welcomed the delegation and explained the evolution of TETFund, which was originally established as the Education Trust Fund in 1993 before being transformed into TETFund under the 2011 Act.

He said the agency emerged from the funding crisis that confronted Nigeria’s tertiary education sector more than three decades ago, necessitating the creation of an alternative and dedicated source of funding for public higher institutions.

Echono said TETFund’s interventions were designed to address critical needs in beneficiary institutions, including infrastructure, instructional materials and equipment, research and publications, as well as academic staff training and development.

He also highlighted other areas considered critical to improving and maintaining standards in Nigeria’s higher education institutions.

The planned Nigerian study tour comes as The Gambia seeks to strengthen the financing and institutional development of its tertiary education and technical and vocational education and training system.

The Gambian Tertiary and Higher Education Trust Fund describes itself as a national financing mechanism established to support quality teaching, skills development, innovation and institutional capacity across public TVET and higher education institutions.

Nigeria’s TETFund, meanwhile, has evolved from the Education Trust Fund established in 1993 into the country’s major intervention agency for public tertiary institutions. Its mandate covers infrastructure, instructional materials, research and academic staff development.

TETFund’s role has also expanded amid Nigeria’s recent tax reforms. Under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, the former education tax regime was replaced by a Development Levy, with TETFund allocated 50 per cent of the levy for the 2025 and 2026 assessment years.

The new financing framework is already reflected in TETFund’s 2026 intervention programme. The agency announced allocations of about N2.53bn for each public university, N1.87bn for each polytechnic and N2.06bn for each college of education under the 2026 intervention cycle.

The proposed collaboration therefore provides an opportunity for The Gambia to study not only TETFund’s intervention model but also its institutional structures, funding mechanisms and approaches to supporting research, infrastructure and human-capacity development in tertiary education.