ICPC urges tertiary institutions to tighten controls on TETFund projects

The ICPC has asked heads of tertiary institutions to tighten internal controls and improve transparency in the handling of TETFund money. The appeal was made on Monday by ICPC Chairman Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, as he opened a two-day Organisational Integrity Management Capacity-Building Programme for officials of TETFund beneficiary institutions in Abuja. The programme was organised by ACAN with support from TETFund. Dr Aliyu warned that weak procurement practices, poor project supervision, ineffective internal controls, conflicts of interest and financial mismanagement could undermine investments in the tertiary education sector. He stressed that adequate funding alone would not guarantee improved educational infrastructure unless institutions demonstrate transparency, accountability and responsible management of public resources.

In his remarks, Dr Aliyu called on institutional leaders to enforce established procedures, provide safe channels for reporting misconduct and institutionalise corruption risk assessments. He urged schools to improve documentation, segregate duties, ensure independent verification of projects and strengthen mechanisms for reporting and responding to misconduct. Participating institutions are expected to identify specific integrity measures, appoint responsible officers, set implementation timelines and develop measurable indicators to monitor progress. Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, Provost of ACAN, added that integrity must extend beyond leadership to academic and non-academic staff and students. He highlighted honesty, accountability and fairness as essential values for building trust in educational institutions. Professor Ibrahim also urged collaboration with the ICPC to tackle administrative corruption, embezzlement, examination malpractice, monetisation of marks, sexual harassment and ghost workers.

Representing TETFund, Executive Secretary Arc. Sonny Echono, through Director Dr Kolapo Okunlola, said funding alone could not guarantee results without accountable leadership, effective implementation and strict adherence to standards. He urged heads of institutions to comply with procurement laws, financial regulations and TETFund guidelines while protecting whistle-blowers. Echono reaffirmed TETFund's commitment to transparency and asked participants to identify institutional weaknesses and apply the knowledge gained from the programme. The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to preventing corruption through system study and review, corruption risk assessment, an Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard and further capacity-building programmes organised through ACAN. The success of the initiative will be judged not by attendance but by the improvements introduced in each institution.