The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced the suspension of its foreign scholarship programme for academic staff, effective January 1, 2025.
This decision was revealed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by TETFund’s Director of Public Affairs, Abdulmumin Oniyangi, who cited the rising cost of training abroad and the increasing rate of scholars absconding as key reasons for the move.
Oniyangi clarified that scholars currently enrolled in foreign institutions under the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) programme will continue to receive funding until they complete their studies.
“The suspension aims to conserve foreign exchange, reduce financial strain, boost local capacity investment in Nigerian tertiary institutions, and significantly expand the number of beneficiaries,” he stated.
To support this shift, TETFund, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), is implementing recently approved Trans-National Education Guidelines. These guidelines encourage partnerships between Nigerian institutions and leading universities from countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Malaysia, and Brazil.
Under these partnerships, foreign universities will deliver high-quality programmes in Nigeria, ensuring that the standard matches what is offered in their home institutions.
TETFund has directed beneficiary institutions to prioritize local training and ensure strict compliance with the new focus on building domestic capacity.
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