LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT AND FISCAL GOVERNANCE IN THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR IN NIGERIA, 2015-2023

This study examined the interface between legislative oversight and fiscal governance in the tertiary education sector in Nigeria, with a particular focus on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) between 2015 and 2023. The aim of this study was to examine how the exercise of legislative oversight by relevant committees of the National Assembly affected the transparent and accountable management of the 2% education tax administered by TETFUND to address challenges in the tertiary education sector between 2015 and 2023. The study adopted a mixed-method research design involving the collection of both quantitative primary data and qualitative secondary data. The questionnaire and personal interviews were the principal instruments for collecting primary data, whereas qualitative data were collected from documentary sources. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution tables, percentages, charts, mean, and standard deviation, while the qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis. The study found that legislative oversight is crucial for transparent and accountable fiscal governance, but its effectiveness in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector has been constricted by various structural and procedural challenges, including executive interference, inadequate legislative capacity, and a lack of robust oversight tools. It recommended among others compulsory and regular oversight training of legislators and committee staff as well as the establishment of parallel oversight bodies comprising civil society organizations, educational experts, and auditors to complement legislative oversight of the sector