Taxation and Tertiary Education Enhancement in Nigeria: An Evaluation of the Education Tax Fund (ETF) Between 1999-2010

Abstract

This research undertakes an eleven-year period study of the activities of Education Tax Fund (ETF) upon Nigerian tertiary institutions with the target of revealing how Education Tax Fund has helped in enhancing the educational development of Nigerian Tertiary Institutions. Various analytical tools were employed in appraising data generated from the publications of the operations department of the Education Tax Fund and some other Federal Government publications. The research found out that ETF has made significant positive impact towards improving the educational sector in Nigeria by construction of various intervention projects and improving the teaching and learning conditions of both students and lecturers., and that each tertiary institution has its own criteria (subject to TETfund directives) for determining which lecturer becomes a beneficiary. However, the principal officers such as vice chancellors, rectors, provosts and their deputies, the directors of works, librarians etc are not to be included as beneficiaries. The research also revealed that ETF distribution formula nationwide for tertiary institutions were 25%, 12.5% and 12.5% for Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, respectively while the remaining 50% was distributed to Secondary and Primary Schools. Conclusively, the researcher is of the opinion that the ETF has the potential of alleviating the chronic under-funding of the educational sector and that in future, if properly utilized the fund will continue in no small measure towards revitalizing the educational system in Nigeria.

Keywords: Education Tax Fund; Education trust fund; tertiary institutions; educational development; high impact projects