The Federal Government has disbursed more than N13 billion in interest-free loans to 7,450 academic and non-academic staff across public tertiary institutions under the 2025/2026 Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF).
The Federal Ministry of Education announced the completion of the latest funding cycle in a statement issued on June 19, revealing that beneficiaries were drawn from 153 public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.
The ministry also disclosed that applications for the 2026/2027 cycle of the programme will open at the end of June 2026.
Administered by the Bank of Industry (BoI), the TISSF provides interest-free loans of up to N10 million to eligible staff of public tertiary institutions to support personal and professional development needs.
According to the ministry, the initiative is one of the largest staff welfare programmes in Nigeria’s education sector and forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the welfare, productivity, and overall well-being of education workers.
The government said the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises investments in human capital development and institutional strengthening.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirms his administration’s commitment to investing in the people who drive teaching, learning, research, and innovation across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions,” the ministry stated.
The government noted that by easing financial pressures on lecturers and non-teaching staff, the intervention is helping to improve living standards while strengthening the workforce responsible for producing the nation’s future leaders and professionals.
Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, described the scheme as a vital component of the ministry’s broader reform agenda for the education sector.
According to him, investments in infrastructure, technology, research, skills development, and institutional reforms must be complemented by initiatives that directly improve staff welfare.
“No education system can outperform the people who sustain it,” Alausa said, urging eligible staff to take advantage of the next application cycle.
Since the first disbursement was made on October 28, 2025, the programme has processed more than 42,000 applications through its digital platform, reaching beneficiaries in all six geopolitical zones of the country.
A breakdown of the beneficiaries showed that university employees accounted for the largest share of recipients, receiving 52 per cent of total disbursements. Staff of colleges of education accounted for 25 per cent, while polytechnic employees received 23 per cent.
The ministry, however, expressed concern over the low participation of female staff members. Data from the 2025/2026 cycle showed that women accounted for only 19 per cent of beneficiaries.
To address the imbalance, the ministry said targeted sensitisation campaigns and outreach programmes would be implemented during the next phase to encourage greater participation among female academics and non-academic staff, as well as institutions and regions with lower levels of engagement.
The Federal Ministry of Education also announced plans to improve the digital application process to make it more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly.
According to the ministry, engagement with participating institutions will be deepened to ensure that prospective applicants receive adequate guidance and support throughout the application process.
Applications for the 2026/2027 phase of the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund are expected to open before the end of June. Eligible staff have been advised to liaise with their institutions’ bursary departments and monitor official communication channels for detailed application guidelines.
The latest disbursement comes as the Federal Government continues to roll out reforms aimed at improving the quality of education in Nigeria through increased investment in infrastructure, staff development, and learning outcomes.
Recently, the government announced plans to conduct Nigeria’s first nationwide learning assessment exercise between June 29 and July 3, 2026, to generate data that will support education planning, policy reforms, and improved learning outcomes across the country.
