By Olawale Lamina
The Federal Government has launched the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, a novel welfare and empowerment scheme for academic and non-academic staff in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, in a statement on Friday, described the fund as a direct response to the welfare and professional growth needs of the nation’s tertiary institution workforce.
“It gives me great pleasure to officially launch a landmark initiative that speaks directly to the heart of our commitment to the welfare and professional growth of our nation’s tertiary institution workforce — the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF).
“TISSF is not just a welfare package; it is a strategic empowerment platform designed to give our academic and non-academic staff the financial stability they need to serve our students with renewed dedication, and to live with dignity and pride.
“It is an integral part of President @officialABAT, GCFR’s Renewed Hope Reform Agenda for Education, which places our people — our greatest asset — at the centre of transforming our education sector and growing our economy,” the Minister explained.
Dr. Alausa added that TISSF is a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, implemented in partnership with the Bank of Industry
. “It is a free, 0% interest loan scheme aimed at enhancing welfare, supporting career development, and promoting financial independence for staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions,” he stated.
Speaking on the benefits of the initiative, the minister said: “What do staff get? Up to ₦10 million (capped at 33.3% of gross annual salary) — repayable after 5 years, with a 12-month moratorium before repayment begins.”
Giving further details about the benefits of the scheme, Alausa said that the fund will cover five major areas: “I. Medical Support: Surgeries, emergency care, and medication. II. Family & Accommodation Support: Rent, home ownership, renovation. III. Transportation: Vehicle purchase (including EVs), bikes, tricycles, CNG conversions. IV. Small-Scale Enterprise & Agriculture: Poultry, fishing, crop farming, agro-processing. V. Academic Advancement: Professional certifications, degrees, capacity-building programmes.”
“Who’s eligible? Confirmed full-time academic and non-academic staff of any federal university, polytechnic, or college of education. One state university, polytechnic, and college of education in each state. Applicants with at least five (5) years remaining until retirement. Membership of relevant staff associations such as ASUU, SSANU, NASU, etc.”
He called on eligible staff to take advantage of the scheme without delay, stating, “To all eligible staff across our universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education: begin your application today. It’s time to seize the moment!”
He also called on interested members of the academic community concerned to submit applications via the official portal: https://tissf.education.gov.ng.
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