TETFund suspends foreign scholarship for Nigerian academics, gives reasons

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETTFund) said it would from January 2025 halt its foreign scholarship funding for Nigerian academics under the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) scheme.

The Fund disclosed the decision on Thursday in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdulmumin Oniyangi.

Mr Oniyangi noted that the suspension is in response to the “excessive cost” of training in foreign institutions as well as the “high rate of abscondment of foreign scholars”.

The TETFund spokesperson said the board of trustees of the agency has approved the suspension.

He added that the suspension is effective from 1 January 2025 with the exception of scholars already in the programme.

“TETFund scholars who have already enrolled in foreign institutions would continue to draw down on their scholarships till the end of their programmes,” he said.

“It is expected that the suspension will conserve and reduce the pressure on foreign exchange rate, boost investment and local capacity in Nigerian tertiary educational institutions and significantly increase the number of beneficiaries of the intervention.”