FG Disburses N13Bn Interest-Free Loans To 7,450 Tertiary Workers, Opens New Application

The Federal Government has completed the disbursement of more than N13 billion in interest-free loans to 7,450 academic and non-academic staff across 153 public tertiary institutions under the 2025/2026 cycle of the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF).

The Federal Ministry of Education announced the development in a statement on Thursday, noting that applications for the 2026/2027 phase of the programme will open at the end of June 2026.

According to the ministry, the intervention, administered by the Bank of Industry (BOI), is one of the largest staff welfare initiatives in Nigeria’s education sector and aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at improving the welfare, financial wellbeing, and productivity of education workers.

The TISSF provides interest-free loans of up to N10 million to eligible staff of public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to support personal and professional needs while enhancing their overall wellbeing.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to investing in education personnel, describing them as the driving force behind teaching, learning, research, and innovation in the nation’s tertiary institutions. He stated that the programme is helping to ease financial pressures on workers, improve livelihoods, and strengthen the workforce responsible for shaping Nigeria’s future.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a key component of the ministry’s ongoing education reform agenda and urged eligible staff to take advantage of the forthcoming application window.

According to the minister, no education system can rise above the quality of the people who sustain it. He stressed that investments in infrastructure, technology, skills development, research, and institutional reforms must be complemented by practical measures that improve staff welfare and quality of life.

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Alausa noted that the successful completion of the 2025/2026 phase highlights both the strong demand for and the positive impact of the programme. He added that the initiative complements broader efforts to strengthen teaching and learning, promote research and innovation, improve institutional governance, and build a more resilient and globally competitive education system.

The ministry disclosed that since disbursements began on October 28, 2025, more than 42,000 applications have been processed through the programme’s digital platform, with beneficiaries spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Universities accounted for 52 per cent of the disbursements, while colleges of education and polytechnics received 25 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

The ministry further revealed that female beneficiaries represented 19 per cent of recipients during the 2025/2026 cycle. To address this gap, it said targeted sensitisation and outreach programmes would be introduced in the next phase to encourage greater participation among female staff and improve uptake in some regions.

It also stated that efforts are underway to enhance the application process and strengthen engagement with participating institutions to ensure a faster, more efficient, and user-friendly experience for applicants.

Eligible academic and non-academic staff have been advised to liaise with their institutions’ bursary departments and monitor official communication channels of the ministry for guidelines and further details ahead of the opening of applications for the next phase.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to building a stronger education sector where staff welfare is prioritised, institutions are strengthened, and investments translate into improved learning outcomes, research excellence, innovation, and national development.