Universities, polytechnics, And Colleges Of Education (CoE) Lecturers ‘JAPA’ Through Our Foreign Scholarships — TETFund

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has expressed concern over the increasing incidents of academic staff from universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education (CoE) fleeing once they are sent abroad on scholarships by the agency.

The Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, stated that these cases are embarrassing, prompting the need to revise the foreign scholarship programs. The aim is to strengthen the selection criteria and ensure that beneficiaries do not abscond in the future.

Echono addressed the heads of benefiting institutions in Abuja during a stakeholders’ engagement on emerging issues affecting TETFund’s interventions. He urged participants to collaborate with TETFund in recommending credible scholars for foreign scholarships.

“We are entrusted with the responsibility of rehabilitating the physical infrastructure and other content aspects of the nation’s entire public tertiary institutions. We have successfully sponsored over 37,000 scholars for both foreign and local PhDs, Masters, Bench Work, and Postdoctoral programs in various institutions within and outside Nigeria.”

“Sadly, we are having growing cases of scholars’ abscondment, scholars not returning to serve their bonds at their home institutions upon completion of their programs. In fact, the challenge of scholars absconding has undermined and complicated TETFund’s scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) program, thus bringing it under intense scrutiny.”

Echono explained that the stakeholders’ engagement aimed to address these challenges and find solutions for the effective implementation of scholarship programs. He highlighted the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with prestigious institutions overseas to enhance the TSAS program.

The purpose of the engagement was to encourage open dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders of the Fund to enhance the effectiveness of TETFund’s intervention programs. Echono emphasized that stakeholders’ collective insights, ideas, and feedback are crucial for driving positive changes and accelerating educational sector development.

“As an agency of the government tasked with rebuilding and supporting the nation’s tertiary institutions, we are fully aware of the enormous responsibility and task before us, especially considering the importance of tertiary education in nation-building.”

Echono also addressed the impact of rising inflation on the Fund’s interventions, stating the need to reconsider fixed cost regimes and adapt interventions to inflation rates and project lifecycles. He also emphasized the importance of comprehensive equipment audits to ensure efficient utilization of resources and avoid duplication in subsequent interventions.