By Samaila Emmanuel Bzugu
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has strongly condemned the proposed scrapping of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to make way for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke warned that this move would have devastating consequences for public education in Nigeria.
Osodeke emphasized that TETFund has been instrumental in transforming tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria over the past three decades. He argued that suffocating the funding source of TETFund to run NELFUND would be catastrophic for public universities. “The only source of funding is from TETFund, so when you destroy it, you have destroyed public universities,” he said.
The ASUU president also criticized the Tax Bills introduced by the President Bola Tinubu administration, stating that stakeholders were not consulted within the educational sector before the bills were sent to the National Assembly. He accused the government of trying to destroy public universities and ensure that the children of the poor remain slaves.
The only source of funding is from TETFund, so when you destroy it, you have destroyed public universities
Osodeke proposed an alternative solution, suggesting that the government should bankroll NELFUND from Value Added Tax (VAT) instead of scrapping TETFund. “Take 1% or 2% of VAT to fund NELFUND. Don’t take from Peter to pay Paul. Go and look for ways to fund NELFUND,” he said.
The Tinubu administration’s tax reform bills have faced widespread opposition, including from the 36 state governors and the 19 governors in northern Nigeria. Chair of the Presidential Committee on Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has claimed that the government has no intention of scrapping TETFund, but ASUU remains unconvinced.
It is not about ASUU, it is about the future of Nigeria. Nigerian government gives less than 10% to education
Osodeke urged the government to respect the sacrifices made by ASUU members who fought for TETFund, including those who lost their lives. He emphasized that the future of Nigeria’s education system is at stake, warning that the government’s policies would only serve to suffocate the poor. “It is not about ASUU, it is about the future of Nigeria. Nigerian government gives less than 10% to education. In West Africa, the minimum budget allocation is 15%,” he said.
