The Government of The Gambia has announced plans to undertake a study tour of Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as part of efforts to strengthen its newly established Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund.
The announcement was made on Monday, August 10, 2026, when Gambia’s Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Hon. Prof. Pierre Gomez, led a high-powered delegation to the headquarters of TETFund in Abuja, where they met with the Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono.
Gomez said the visit was primarily to formally inform the TETFund leadership about the establishment of THET Fund, which is modelled after Nigeria’s intervention agency, and to seek technical assistance and cooperation ahead of a planned study tour by officials of the Gambian fund.
According to him, Gambian authorities had closely followed the activities and achievements of TETFund over the years through its website, social media platforms and other media outlets, which inspired the country to establish a similar intervention mechanism for its tertiary institutions.
The minister stressed the importance of collaboration between THET Fund and TETFund, particularly in the areas of research, capacity development and institutional strengthening.
He noted that such cooperation would not only enhance the development of higher education in The Gambia but also contribute to strengthening diplomatic relations between Nigeria and The Gambia as two West African countries.
Responding, Echono welcomed the Gambian delegation and expressed appreciation to the minister and his team for the visit.
He briefed the delegation on the history and evolution of TETFund, explaining that the agency emerged from the challenges that confronted Nigeria’s tertiary education sector more than three decades ago.
According to him, the crisis in the sector prompted the Federal Government and other stakeholders to seek alternative and sustainable funding for tertiary institutions, leading to the establishment of the Education Trust Fund (ETF), which later evolved into TETFund.
Echono explained that until the introduction of the new Development Levy by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2026, TETFund was primarily financed through a three per cent Education Tax on the assessable profits of companies registered in Nigeria.
He added that public tertiary institutions are the beneficiaries of TETFund interventions.
The Executive Secretary highlighted some of the Fund’s major intervention areas, saying they were designed to address critical needs in tertiary institutions and improve the quality of teaching, learning and research.
These, he said, include the provision of essential physical infrastructure, instructional materials and equipment, research and publication, as well as academic staff training and development.
He added that TETFund also intervenes in other areas considered critical to improving and maintaining standards in Nigeria’s higher education institutions.
Members of the Gambian delegation included the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Ms. Isatou Auber; Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical), Dr. Samba Sowe; and Project Coordinator, CPCU, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ms. Ndey Anta Taal.
The proposed study tour is expected to provide officials of the newly established THET Fund with first-hand knowledge of TETFund’s structure, funding model, intervention programmes and institutional operations.
