We trained over 30,000 academic staffs of public tertiary institutions from 2008 to date across the country – TETFUND
By Madu Mohammed Maiduguri
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has said that since its inception in 2008 it has expended N120 billion on training and Development of over 30,000 academic Staffs of over 230 public tertiary institutions across the nation, in addition to the the training of over 68,000 on conferences and workshops
The chairman of the TETfUND, Alhaji Kashim Imam who disclosed while assessment visits to the University of Maiduguri on Monday said “since the inception of the Fund in 2008 we have expended N120 billion on the Academic staffs training and development of over 30,000 academic staffs, in addition to over 68,000 academic and non academic staffs on workshops and conferences abroad.”
“Many universities and tertiary institutions have benefited from funds Academic staff training and Development scholarships amounting to N20 billion, and in 2021 the TETFUND has set aside N25 billion making the total of N150 billion From the 2008 to date. We are here on a assessment visit to ascertain the impact of our investment and to also know the success, challenges of the scheme and proffer solution.”, imam added
He said “the intervention in 2021 is the highest the Fund ever had but also the lowest due to exchange rate, which had reduced the number o scholars to be sponsored, University of Maiduguri alone has N150 million to spend in 2021 on staff training and development, so we are here to find out whether we are having value for our money”.
The chairman said ” due to corruption and other infringements, the TETFUND has suspended conferences and workshops training outside the country. I urge the institutions to come up with suggestions to see how we can properly utilize the the funds.*
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, Professor Aliyu Shugaba said, University of Maiduguri has benefited a lot from the Fund and if not for the TETFUND tertiary institutions in Nigeria will be glorified secondary schools.
“The TETFUND has approved the sum of N750 million for the upgrade of kidney centre at the UMTH and with that development very soon we don’t need to go abroad or else where for kidney transplant. The Fund has also approved for the upgrade of Trans Sahara studies
Also speaking, the Director Academic Staff training and Development of the TETFUND, Mal. Mohammed Suleiman said “the fund has expanded huge sum of fund on academic training and development, as such, we need to assess and know whether we are getting value for our money, what are the challenges and proffer solutions”
He said ” a total 30,000 academic staff have benefited from training and Development and 68,000 academic and non academic staffs attended conferences and workshops. So we are here to look back in the last 12 years to assess our performance”..
While at the UNIMAID one of the benefitting scholars, Dr. Mustapha Isa said the major challenges of the foreign scholars is the issue of foreign exchange.
The chairman was also at the Ranat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Kashim Imam College of Education and Umar Ibn Ibrahim Elkanemi College of Education science and technology Bama for the same mission where he interacted with the management and benefitting scholars in the institutions.