From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) announced on Thursday that its Board of Trustees has approved the suspension of the foreign component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) intervention, effective from 1 January 2025.
However, the decision will not affect scholars already enrolled in foreign institutions, who will continue to access their scholarships until the end of their programmes.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Abdulmumin Oniyangi, Director of Public Affairs, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono.
Echono explained that the suspension was prompted by the excessive cost of training in foreign institutions and the high rate of abscondment among foreign scholars.
He expressed optimism that the suspension would help conserve and reduce pressure on foreign exchange, boost investment in local capacity within Nigerian tertiary institutions, and significantly increase the number of beneficiaries of the intervention.
In light of this development, TETFund revealed that it is collaborating with the National Universities Commission (NUC) to strengthen the implementation of the Transnational Education Guidelines recently approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Under the scheme, top-ranking institutions from countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Malaysia, and Brazil will be encouraged to offer programmes in partnership with Nigerian institutions, ensuring the same standard and quality of courses available in their home institutions,” the statement noted.
Additionally, beneficiary institutions of TETFund have been advised to prioritise their training needs for implementation within Nigerian institutions and to ensure strict compliance with the new directive.