The Board of Trustees of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has approved the suspension of the foreign component of its Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) Intervention, effective January 1, 2025.
Key Reasons for the Suspension:
Rising Costs: The excessive expense of training in foreign institutions.
Abscondment: A high rate of foreign scholars failing to return after completing their studies.
Ongoing Commitments:
TETFund clarified that scholars already enrolled in foreign institutions will continue to receive funding until the end of their programs.
Strategic Goals of the Suspension:
- Conservation of Foreign Exchange: Reducing pressure on Nigeria’s forex reserves.
- Boosting Local Capacity: Increasing investment in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
- Expanded Access: Enabling more beneficiaries to access scholarship opportunities locally.
Transnational Education as an Alternative
In collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), TETFund is implementing Transnational Education Guidelines recently approved by President Bola Tinubu. Under the scheme:
- Top-ranking universities from countries such as the UK, USA, Malaysia, and Brazil will collaborate with Nigerian institutions.
- These partnerships aim to offer programs of equal standard and quality to those available abroad.
Advisory to Beneficiary Institutions
TETFund has urged institutions to prioritize their academic training needs locally and strictly adhere to the new policy.
This decision is part of a broader effort to strengthen Nigeria’s education sector, reduce brain drain, and conserve national resources.
