The Government of 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 Gambian Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Hon. Prof. Pierre Gomez, disclosed this on Monday, August 10, 2026, when he led a high powered delegation on a visit to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja.
Gomez said the visit was aimed at informing TETFund of the establishment of THET Fund, which was modelled after Nigeria’s TETFund, and seeking the Fund’s assistance and cooperation ahead of the planned study tour by officials of the Gambian agency.
He said Gambian authorities had followed TETFund’s activities and achievements over the years through its website, social media platforms and other media outlets, adding that the Fund’s interventions informed The Gambia’s decision to establish a similar institution to support tertiary education in the country.
The minister stressed the need for collaboration between TETFund and THET Fund, particularly in research and capacity development, saying such cooperation would also deepen diplomatic relations between Nigeria and The Gambia.
Gomez noted that the two countries, as members of the West African region, stood to benefit from stronger institutional partnerships in the education sector.
Welcoming the delegation, Echono expressed appreciation to the minister and his team for the visit and briefed them on the history and evolution of TETFund, which was initially established as the Education Trust Fund (ETF).
He explained that TETFund emerged in response to funding challenges that confronted Nigeria’s tertiary education sector more than three decades ago, prompting the Federal Government and other stakeholders to establish an alternative funding mechanism for public tertiary institutions.
Echono said that before the introduction of the new Development Levy by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2026, TETFund was primarily funded through a three per cent education tax on the assessable profits of companies registered in Nigeria.
He noted that TETFund’s interventions over the years had focused on addressing critical needs in beneficiary institutions, including physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, instructional materials and equipment, research and publication, as well as academic staff training and development.
According to him, the interventions are designed to address areas considered critical to improving and maintaining standards in Nigeria’s higher education institutions.
Members of the Gambian delegation included the Permanent Secretary, MoHERST, Ms. Isatou Auber; Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical), MoHERST, Dr. Samba Sowe; and Project Coordinator, Central Project Coordinating Unit (CPCU), Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ms. Ndey Anta Taal.
