The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it is addressing the plights of some Nigerian lecturers studying in foreign institutions under the TETfund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) programmes.

The assurance was given in a statement by TETFund spokesman Abdulmumin Oniyangi on Thursday. It said the lecturers were requesting a bailout to cater for shortfalls in their living expenses occasioned by fluctuations in foreign exchange.

TETFund said it specifically noted appeals from scholars in Malaysia, India and Kenya, requesting intervention to enable them to complete their studies.

“It is instructive to note that upon the introduction of the TSAS programme in 2008, full tuition and living expenses of scholars were disbursed directly by TETFund to their employers, i.e. the Fund’s beneficiary institutions,” the statement added.

It noted that due to complaints by numerous scholars and certain observations on non-compliance to stipulated guidelines by beneficiary institutions, the mode of disbursement was reviewed in August 2019.

According to him, TETFund commenced direct payment of tuition fees to foreign training institutions to mitigate the exchange rate fluctuations, while disbursement of living expenses was still made to the institutions for retention in domiciliary accounts before transfer to scholars.

He said the aim is to protect the scholarship bond signed with their employers.

“Based on the foregoing, TETFund has been up to date in tuition payment to the training institutions of all affected scholars and indeed other institutions where TETFund scholars undergo various programmes,” stated TETFund. “It is pertinent to state that despite the requirement of operating domiciliary accounts for living expenses of foreign scholars, some beneficiary institutions still kept such funds in local currency.”

TETFund mentioned that due to non-compliance to this requirement, scholars are often cut up on the volatility of foreign exchange arising from keeping their stipends in local currency.

“To address this anomaly, TETFund, with effect from 2022, commenced payment of living expenses directly to scholars after the first year until the end of the programme, with the burden of exchange rate variation borne by the Fund,” the statement said.

TETFund added that it signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with some foreign institutions to safeguard its scholars and ensure seamless academic activities.

“This will be paid directly to eligible scholars and recovered from subsequent allocations of affected beneficiary institutions. Furthermore, given the steady rise in the cost of living index in these foreign countries, the management of TETFund has also proposed an increase in the rates of living expenses to scholars with effect from the 2023/2024 academic year,” TETFund explained.

(NAN)