The scheme provides eligible academic and non-academic personnel with loans of up to ₦10 million, as the fund’s resources rise above ₦40 billion.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has disbursed more than ₦13 billion in interest-free loans to 7,450 academic and non-academic staff across 153 tertiary institutions under its Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF).
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, disclosed this, explaining that the initiative was introduced to ease the financial pressures facing personnel in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector and improve their living conditions.
Under the scheme, eligible employees of beneficiary institutions can access interest-free loans of up to ₦10 million to meet personal financial needs.
Echono highlighted the everyday financial challenges confronting university staff, noting that even senior academics sometimes struggle to meet essential household and maintenance expenses because their salaries are insufficient to cover such costs.
He cited situations in which professors find it difficult to replace worn-out car tyres, repair leaking roofs or secure credit to address pressing financial needs.
According to him, the intervention is intended to provide staff with access to affordable financing without the additional burden of interest payments.
Echono also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had increased the fund’s resources to more than ₦40 billion, expanding the financial capacity available to support eligible beneficiaries.
The TISSF forms part of TETFund’s broader efforts to address staff welfare within Nigeria’s tertiary education system. Its implementation recognises that the welfare and financial stability of academic and non-academic personnel are important considerations in strengthening the institutions responsible for teaching, research and knowledge development.
With more than ₦13 billion already disbursed, the scheme has extended financial support to thousands of employees across participating institutions. The expanded funding is expected to provide additional capacity for the programme, subject to its eligibility requirements and implementation arrangements.
The intervention also highlights the importance of staff welfare in broader efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of tertiary education in Nigeria.
