TET FUND CONSIDERS SUSPENSION OF FOREIGN SCHOLARSHIP OVER CBN POLICY……….
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says the recent monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has created difficulties in payment of foreign scholarship tuition and stipends.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at a One-Day Stakeholders Engagement on Emerging Issues with the TETFund Intervention in Abuja on Wednesday.
Echono said since the fund’s allocation was barely enough to service programmes under its Tertiary Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS), the fund was considering suspending foreign scholarships while also considering upward review of local scholarships.
”The Fund at this material time is also discouraging beneficiary institutions from initiating new Benchwork programmes.
”Additionally, there are issues related to scholars not returning to serve their bonds at their home institutions upon completion of their programmes.
”Infact the challenge of scholars absconding has undermine and complicated the TSAS programme and bringing it under intense scrutiny.
”It is for these and other reasons that this engagement was organised. We need to address these challenges and find solutions to ensure the effective and smooth implementation of our scholarship programmes,” he said.
The Executive Secretary noted that the Fund had recently signed several MoU’s with some prestigious institutions overseas that include universities in Malaysia, India, Brazil, France and the United States with a view to boosting and enhancing the TSAS programme in the future.
The Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki advised the fund to revamp its monitoring for quality assurance so as to have a better return on investment on its projects.
The Chairman, House Committee on TETFund, Princes Miriam Onuoha, said in making essential infrastructure available in tertiary institutions, there was need to ensure inclusivity especially with Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD).
According to her, in our physical planning, we must make accessible the building to be accommodating to tte needs of PLWD.
In the same vein, the former Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola, called for a monitoring and implementation system to ensure that academic calendars of universities were adhered to.