Bridging the Gap: NUJ and TETFund Forge Alliance to Tell Tertiary Education Transformation’ By Adagher Tersoo
In a move that promises to bridge the gap between policy implementation and public perception, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) is seeking a strategic partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to shine a spotlight on the state of higher education in Nigeria.
Leading a delegation to the headquarters of TETFund in Abuja, the National President of the NUJ, Alhassan Yahya, extended a hand of collaboration to the agency’s Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, emphasizing the media’s role as a critical stakeholder in national development.
Yahya was unequivocal in his praise for the agency’s stewardship of Nigeria’s education intervention funds. He noted that the NUJ has been an avid observer of TETFund’s activities and is satisfied with the trajectory of project execution across the nation’s polytechnics, universities, and colleges of education.
“This visit is aimed at strengthening institutional partnership,” Yahya stated. “We believe that by working together, we can advance national development through improved education outcomes and, most importantly, informed public engagement.”
At the heart of the proposed collaboration is a bold initiative: a joint inspection tour of selected tertiary institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Yahya proposed that this tour would allow journalists to move beyond press releases and independently observe the transformation taking place on the ground.
By visiting sites in selected states, the media corps would be able to document, verify, and communicate the tangible impact of TETFund interventions to the Nigerian public. The plan includes a robust public sensitization component, ensuring that the scale of work being carried out—often hidden behind university walls—is brought into the living rooms of everyday Nigerians.
“The broader public awareness will help Nigerians appreciate the scale of work being carried out in tertiary institutions,” the NUJ President added, noting that transparency is key to building trust in the system.
Beyond the proposed tours, Yahya used the platform to appeal for TETFund’s support for two key media-driven initiatives. He specifically requested assistance for the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), the NUJ-owned training institution dedicated to sharpening the professional skills of journalists. The appeal underscores a shared goal: a better-educated media corps to report on a better-educated society.
Looking ahead, the NUJ also sought the agency’s backing for its planned 2026 Media Summit in Abuja. Yahya described the event as a crucial convergence point for academics, policymakers, and security experts to deliberate on the intersecting challenges of education funding and national security.
Responding to the NUJ delegation, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, welcomed the partnership, describing the media as a vital ally in the fight to restore the glory of Nigeria’s education sector.
Echono provided context to the agency’s mandate, explaining that TETFund was born out of a period of widespread concern over what stakeholders then perceived as a “serious deterioration in academic quality.”
He stressed that while progress has been made, Nigeria’s tertiary education system is still grappling with significant challenges. He pointed to persistent deficiencies in physical infrastructure, outdated research facilities, and the general conditions under which teaching and learning occur as areas that still demand “sustained investment, public trust, and stronger institutional support.”
The partnership with the NUJ, Echono noted, is crucial for fostering that public trust. By allowing the media to act as independent observers and chroniclers of the nation’s educational journey, TETFund hopes to not only showcase its achievements but also to build a national consensus on the importance of continued investment in the nation’s intellectual capital.
As the meeting concluded, the message was clear: in the quest to halt the decline and propel Nigerian tertiary institutions to global standards, the pen may prove just as mighty as the purse.
Adagher Tersoo.
A Public Affairs analyst writes from Abuja.
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