The Federal Government has expanded its Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF), disbursing N11.8 billion in interest-free loans to thousands of beneficiaries across Nigeria as part of efforts to improve staff welfare and strengthen the education sector.
The TISSF, launched last year, is a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), designed to enhance the well-being, career development, and financial stability of staff in tertiary institutions nationwide.
Under the scheme, eligible academic and non-academic staff can access loans of up to N10 million at zero per cent interest.
According to official data published on the programme’s website, “Loans up to N10m per staff (0% interest); N11.8bn disbursed to 6,842 beneficiaries from 141 institutions.”
The data further revealed that “34,000 verified applicants from 219 institutions” are currently in the pipeline, with federal universities accounting for 59 per cent of participants, polytechnics 23 per cent, and colleges of education 18 per cent. It added that applicants must have a minimum of five years to retirement to qualify.
The ministry said the initiative forms part of the broader Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, aimed at repositioning the country’s education system through targeted interventions.
In a related development, no fewer than 240 e-tricycles have been distributed across 12 institutions to support mobility and ease transportation challenges within campuses.
The government also highlighted progress on other programmes under the initiative, including the EduRevamp Teacher Platform—a digital training system introduced earlier this year to strengthen educators’ skills.
According to the ministry, the platform has recorded “37,000 registered users, with 18,000 teachers fully enrolled in its training modules” since its launch at the first National Teacher Summit.
Additionally, the School Safety Portal, developed in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), is being deployed to improve security management in schools nationwide.
Officials say the combined interventions are aimed at improving education delivery, enhancing staff welfare, and creating a safer learning environment across institutions.
