TETFund considers suspending foreign scholarships amid forex fluctuations

Addressing the current forex challenges and other pressing issues, Echono expressed concern over scholars abandoning their sponsorship by the Fund, which not only complicates the TSAS program but also subjects it to intense scrutiny.

“The Fund is currently discouraging beneficiary institutions from initiating new Benchwork programs,” Echono added.

Furthermore, scholars failing to fulfill their bond obligations by not returning to their home institutions after completing their programs has compounded the challenges facing the TSAS program.

The severity of scholars’ absconding has not only cast a shadow over the TSAS program but has also prompted a thorough review and discussion of these challenges during the engagement.

Echono highlighted the necessity of the engagement, emphasizing the urgency to address these issues and devise effective solutions to ensure the smooth and successful implementation of scholarship programs.

To bolster the TSAS program in the future, the Fund has recently entered into MoUs with prestigious overseas institutions in Malaysia, India, Brazil, France, and the United States.

Echono recalled the establishment of the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC) and the standing Technical Advisory Group (TAG) committee in 2009 to enhance the National Research Fund (NRF) and the Higher Educational Book Development Project, respectively.

He emphasized the need for reconstituting the standing Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and the NRF Screening and Monitoring Committee due to the completion of some members’ four-year terms.

Chris Maiyaki, Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), highlighted the importance of developing innovative funding strategies while ensuring that evolving challenges are met with qualitative funding and effective monitoring for quality assurance.

Princess Miriam Onuoha, Chairman of the House Committee on TETFund, underscored the significance of inclusivity, particularly for Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD), in the provision of essential infrastructure within tertiary institutions.