By Lami Bawa
The Federal University of Technology, Minna, on Monday, August 25, 2025, hosted a joint team from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for an assessment and verification exercise. The exercise, held at the Academic Publishing Centre, Main Campus, was aimed at evaluating institutions shortlisted for the Local Component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) Intervention.
In her remarks, the team lead, Mrs. Simi Sofia Gwam of the NUC, explained that TETFund is now prioritizing local scholarships over foreign ones, in line with the new TSAS policy initiative. She noted that since FUT Minna had already expressed interest by submitting the required documents, the team’s mission was to verify the University’s readiness to implement the programme. “This is more of a compliance check, but at the same time we must ensure that your resources, facilities, and staff strength are adequate to deliver quality postgraduate education under the initiative,” she said, stressing that the process is a collaborative engagement.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Faruk Adamu Kuta, expressed appreciation to NUC and TETFund for what he described as a laudable initiative long clamoured for by universities and academic unions. He emphasized that the programme will showcase the wealth of expertise and talent within Nigerian institutions. “There is no need to commit huge funds to foreign scholarships when we have the expertise, standard curriculum, and capacity here at home,” he remarked. The Vice-Chancellor assured the team of the University’s preparedness and maximum cooperation, pledging that any identified gaps would be addressed.
Mr. Musa Mustapha Junaidu, represented TETFund.
Photo Credit Lekan Oshindare
