The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to include Inter–University Centres as beneficiaries of the education tax imposed under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Act, aimed at boosting training and research across the country.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act, No.16, 2011 to Provide for the Inclusion of Inter–University Centres among Beneficiaries of the Tax Imposed under the Act; and for Related Matters (HB.1754),” is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, and eight other lawmakers.

The Inter-University Centres in question include the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Abuja; the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Aba, Abia State; the Nigerian French Language Village (NFLV), Badagry, Lagos State; and the National Arabic Language Village, Ngala, Borno State.

Leading the debate, one of the co-sponsors, Hon. Tolani Shagaya, explained that TETFUND was established to provide supplementary support for the development of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

He stated that the fund has become a critical part of the nation’s education sector by improving infrastructure, providing learning and instructional tools, training academic and non-academic staff, and supporting research and innovation.

However, he noted that Inter-University Centres—though established by Acts of the National Assembly to serve all universities—have been excluded from TETFUND support.

He argued that these centres are designed to fill vital academic, linguistic, and research gaps and act as specialised knowledge hubs that support the entire university ecosystem.

Despite this, they currently receive no funding from TETFUND, even though their academic contributions align directly with the mandate of the education tax.

Shagaya emphasised that the proposed amendment is not only necessary but also a matter of equity, inclusion, and academic relevance.

He maintained that passing the bill would significantly enhance the overall development of the nation’s tertiary education system.

He noted that Inter-University Centres offer centralised expertise, host advanced research, conduct nationwide language training, and enhance academic cooperation among institutions.

Their current exclusion from TETFUND, simply because they are not classified as traditional universities, polytechnics, or colleges of education, has left them underfunded, under-equipped, and undervalued—despite their national importance.

According to Shagaya, the bill proposes key changes to the principal Act. It seeks to amend Section 4 to recognise Inter-University Centres under the Act; Section 7 to introduce a new allocation ratio of 2:1:1:1, which may be adjusted at the committee stage following stakeholder consultations; and Section 20 to provide a clear definition of “Inter-University Centres.”

He concluded that the amendment would ensure no critical academic institution is left behind and that the Inter-University Centres would be better supported to serve as a strong structural component of the nation’s tertiary education framework.

The bill was unanimously passed through voice vote during plenary, presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, and was referred to the House Committee on TETFUND for further legislative action.