The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has issued a strong warning that the Federal Government’s proposed tax reforms will pose a serious threat to public tertiary institutions in Nigeria by undermining the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
In a statement released on Wednesday, COEASU President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, expressed grave concerns over the potential withdrawal of crucial funding from TETFund, which has been instrumental in supporting the development of Nigeria’s public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Dr. Olugbeko stated that TETFund has been the backbone of public tertiary education in Nigeria, financing infrastructure, research, teaching facilities, and staff development across the country.
He described the tax reforms as a “dangerous ambush” aimed at destroying these vital institutions. “Without TETFund, our tertiary institutions would have collapsed,” Olugbeko said, pointing out that the fund has been the only lifeline for many schools struggling with inadequate government support.
The COEASU President also criticised the Nigerian government’s historical underfunding of education, noting that no administration in the last two decades has allocated the recommended 26% of the national budget to education, with annual allocations consistently falling below 9%.
Olugbeko expressed concern that the tax reforms would drive public institutions further into financial disarray, potentially paving the way for privatisation, where only the wealthy could access higher education.
COEASU has called on all education stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, and civil society, to reject the tax reform proposal. “This is a clear attempt to dismantle public education and promote privatisation,” Olugbeko warned.
He urged the government to instead focus on expanding revenue sources to sustain TETFund and its essential work in public education.
