TETFund commends UNILORIN on effective utilisation of intervention funds
… Egbewole, others seek more support for infrastructure, security, staff development
By Tajudeen Babamale
The Team Lead of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Impact and Needs Assessment Programme for 2016–2025, Prof. Isa Abdulraheem, has commended the University of Ilorin for its effective utilisation of TETFund intervention funds, noting that the University has no abandoned projects.
Prof. Abdulraheem gave this commendation in an interview with UNILORIN Bulletin last Monday (October 12, 2026) after a Community Engagement Forum held at the Auditorium Basement. The Forum was organised as part of the assessment of TETFund-supported projects and programmes in the North-Central Zone.
While explaining that the forum brought together six beneficiary institutions from Kwara State to validate data collected during the assessment, the Team Lead noted that the assessment was designed to determine whether the Fund’s interventions had delivered value for money and identify areas requiring improvement.
Prof. Abdulraheem expressed satisfaction with the submission of the University of Ilorin, noting that it validated the team’s findings on the utilisation of TETFund interventions. He also urged other beneficiary institutions across Nigeria to emulate the University’s example.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has commended the Federal Government and TETFund for their contributions to the development of the University and appealed for additional support in critical areas, particularly infrastructure and security.
Speaking through the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services), Prof. Lere Adeyemi, the Vice Chancellor identified perimeter fencing, security surveillance vehicles and a new Senate Building as some of the University’s pressing needs.
He explained that the University had approximately 15,000 hectares of land, making perimeter fencing essential to prevent encroachment and address security concerns. He added that additional surveillance vehicles would strengthen campus security and enhance the protection of students and other members of the University community.
Similarly, the Director of the Physical Planning Unit, Mr AbdulRahman Toyin Jimoh, called for a review of TETFund’s advance payment arrangements for infrastructure projects to address the challenges contractors face in procuring construction materials amid changing economic conditions.
The Director explained that the 30 per cent advance payment allowed under the prevailing policy might be insufficient to procure all the materials required for projects, particularly air-conditioning equipment and electrical and mechanical components, whose prices are affected by foreign exchange fluctuations.
Mr Jimoh recommended that TETFund consider increasing the advance payment percentage, subject to contractors providing an Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) from an insurance company and a performance bond to safeguard project delivery.
On his part, the President of the Students’ Union, Mr Mozeed Adam, urged TETFund to consider interventions in campus transportation and recreational facilities to improve students’ welfare.
The Students’ Union leader, who identified transportation as one of the major challenges of the students alongside security concerns, appealed for the procurement of buses to ease students’ movement around the campus.
Mr Adam also advocated increased investment in sports and recreational facilities through the renovation of existing infrastructure and the provision of additional sports equipment to enable students to relax and manage academic stress.
In another submission, the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Ilorin Chapter,Mr Naheem Falowo, proposed staff exchange programmes with Nigerian universities and partner institutions abroad to promote professional development, knowledge sharing and institutional advancement. He said non-teaching staff in the Registry, Bursary, and other administrative units could spend three to six months at partner institutions, depending on the terms of the agreements.
The SSANU Chairman noted that the University’s existing memoranda of understanding with institutions across the world could provide a basis for the programme, which he said, would expose staff members to international best practices, improve institutional operations and enhance the global visibility and rankings of participating universities.
Also contributing, the Director of the Centre for Research Development and In-House Training (CREDIT), Prof. Abdulkarim Oloyede, called for clearer guidelines on TETFund’s sponsorship of postgraduate studies, particularly MPhil programmes.
Prof. Oloyede observed that uncertainty over whether MPhil programmes qualified for sponsorship had created confusion among prospective applicants, especially as some universities appeared to accept applications for such programmes while TETFund’s position was understood to exclude them.
He urged the Fund to provide clear and consistent guidance on the matter and consider accommodating MPhil-to-PhD programmes under its sponsorship scheme to widen opportunities for prospective scholars.
