The Government of The Gambia has announced plans to send officials of its newly established Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund on a study tour of Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s higher education financing system.

The plan was disclosed 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 Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja.

Prof. Gomez said the proposed study tour would enable officials of the Gambian THET Fund to understudy TETFund’s operations, programmes and intervention mechanisms, describing the Nigerian agency as a model worthy of emulation.

According to him, the visit was also aimed at formally informing the TETFund management about the establishment of the THET Fund and seeking the Nigerian agency’s cooperation and technical assistance as the Gambian government develops its own intervention framework for tertiary institutions.

The Gambian minister disclosed that his government had closely monitored TETFund’s activities and achievements through its website, social media platforms and other media channels, which informed the decision to establish a similar institution to provide sustainable support for higher education in The Gambia.

He stressed the importance of collaboration between TETFund and THET, particularly in research, institutional development and capacity building.

Prof. Gomez noted that such collaboration would not only enhance the effectiveness of the new Gambian fund but also deepen diplomatic and educational relations between Nigeria and The Gambia.

Responding, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, welcomed the Gambian delegation and provided an overview of the evolution of the Fund, explaining that TETFund had transformed from its original establishment as the Education Trust Fund (ETF) into Nigeria’s foremost tertiary education intervention agency.

Echono explained that TETFund was established against the backdrop of severe funding challenges confronting Nigeria’s tertiary education sector more than three decades ago, prompting the Federal Government and other stakeholders to seek alternative and sustainable funding mechanisms for higher institutions.

He further explained that, prior to 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 imposed on the assessable profits of companies registered in Nigeria.

He noted that public tertiary institutions constitute the beneficiaries of TETFund interventions.

Highlighting the Fund’s interventions over the years, Echono said TETFund had focused its resources on addressing critical needs across tertiary institutions, including physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, instructional materials and equipment, research and publications, as well as academic staff training and development.

He added that interventions were also extended to other critical areas considered essential to improving and maintaining standards in Nigeria’s higher education institutions.

The visit provided an opportunity for both countries to explore areas of institutional cooperation, with the proposed study tour expected to give Gambian officials first-hand insight into TETFund’s structure, funding model, intervention programmes and administrative processes.

Members of the Gambian delegation included the Permanent Secretary, MoHERST, Ms. Isatou Auber; Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical), MoHERST, Dr. Samba Sowe; and Project Coordinator, CPCU, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ms. Ndey Anta Taal.

The engagement is expected to lay the foundation for closer cooperation between Nigeria and The Gambia in tertiary education financing, research, capacity development and institutional strengthening.