Federal Government Disburses N13bn Interest-Free Loans to Tertiary Institution Staff
The Federal Government has completed the disbursement of more than N13 billion in interest-free loans to 7,450 academic and non-academic staff of public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education under the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF).
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Federal Government has disbursed over N13 billion in interest-free loans to 7,450 staff members across 153 public tertiary institutions under the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), with a new application phase set to open before the end of June.
The intervention, administered through the Federal Ministry of Education and the Bank of Industry (BOI), benefited 7,450 academic and non-academic staff members drawn from 153 public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
The Ministry of Education disclosed on Thursday that applications for the next phase of the programme will open before the end of June.
According to the ministry, the fund was established to ease financial pressure on education workers while supporting their personal and professional development. Eligible beneficiaries can access loans of up to N10 million without interest.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the programme as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the welfare of workers in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
He noted that improving the quality of education goes beyond infrastructure and policy reforms, stressing that the people responsible for teaching, research and innovation must also be adequately supported.
“No education system can outperform the people who sustain it,” the minister said, adding that staff welfare remains a critical component of the government’s broader education reform agenda.
Since the programme began in October 2025, more than 42,000 applications have been processed through its digital platform.
Data released by the ministry showed that universities accounted for 52 per cent of total disbursements, while colleges of education and polytechnics received 25 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.
The ministry also revealed that female beneficiaries represented 19 per cent of recipients during the 2025/2026 cycle. It said targeted awareness campaigns would be introduced to improve participation among women and increase uptake in underserved regions.
Officials said the next application phase would feature improvements to the process, including measures aimed at making applications faster and more accessible for prospective beneficiaries.
Academic and non-academic staff interested in the scheme have been advised to liaise with their institutions’ bursary departments and monitor official communication channels of the Ministry of Education for application guidelines.
The Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund is one of the Federal Government’s major welfare initiatives targeted at workers in public higher institutions, with the broader goal of improving staff wellbeing, productivity and service delivery across the education sector.
