Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, has said the recent monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has created difficulties in the payment of foreign scholarship tuition and stipends.
Echono, who stated this at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, 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.
He said, ”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.
”The challenge of scholars absconding has undermined 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.”
The TETFund boss said to enhance the effectiveness of the National Research Fund (NRF), a National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC) was established to screen and select proposals from across institutions and researchers for funding.
The Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, said there was a need to develop new strategies for funding while ensuring sensitivity of the evolving challenging dynamics through qualitative funding.
Maiyaki advised the fund to revamp its monitoring for quality assurance so as to have a better return on investment on its projects.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, House Committee on TETFund, Princes Miriam Onuoha, said in making essential infrastructure available in tertiary institutions, there was a 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.
Also, 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.
Okebukola who spoke on TSAS, emerging issues and possible solutions, clamoured for reduced TETFund oversees scholarships while encouraging in-country training in TETFund strengthened PG programmes.
”In offering solutions to these challenges, there is need to offer TETFund support to top-rate lecturers from oversees universities to come to Nigeria to join local PG training by Nigerian professors.
”We must send professors (of at least 10 years standing) for capacity building to top-rate overseas universities in carefully selected programmes on return to bolster doctoral education and supervision,” he said.
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