Gambia to Send Officials to Understudy Nigeria’s Higher Education Trust Fund

The Gambian government has announced plans to send officials from its newly established Tertiary and Higher Education Trust Fund to Nigeria to study the operational and financing model of Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

The initiative was disclosed by the Gambian Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Prof. Pierre Gomez, during a delegation visit to TETFund’s headquarters in Abuja, where he met with Executive Secretary Sonny Echono.

Objectives of the Study Tour

According to Minister Gomez, the proposed study tour will allow Gambian officials to gain direct insight into TETFund’s strategies for funding higher education, managing research grants, and building infrastructure and institutional capacity.

Key points of the collaboration include:

Model Adoption: The Gambia developed its own funding mechanism after observing TETFund’s interventions and structural impact through public channels.

Capacity Building: The partnership aims to enhance research capabilities and staff development across public tertiary and technical/vocational (TVET) institutions in The Gambia.

Bilateral Cooperation: The initiative is expected to deepen institutional and diplomatic ties between Nigeria and The Gambia.

The Gambian delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, alongside representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.

Evolution of TETFund

Welcoming the delegation, Executive Secretary Sonny Echono outlined TETFund’s development, noting that the agency was originally established in 1993 as the Education Trust Fund before being restructured under the 2011 Act.

Echono explained that TETFund was created in response to severe funding shortages in Nigeria’s public higher education system, serving as a dedicated intervention body to support:

1. Physical infrastructure and essential facilities.

2. Instructional materials and equipment.

3. Research, publications, and academic staff training.

He noted that TETFund’s mandate continues to evolve under recent national tax reforms, including the implementation of the Development Levy under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, which funds intervention allocations across public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

The upcoming study tour will offer The Gambia a comprehensive framework for structuring its national funding model, establishing administrative processes, and improving higher education sustainability.