The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has suspended sponsorship of academics to local and foreign conferences for 2020.
While disclosing this in a circular signed by the Ag. Head, Academic Staff Training and Development, TETFund, Muhammed Sani Sulaiman, stated that the funding was suspended by the agency’s board of trustees based on infractions by tertiary institutions.
The board found that beneficiaries of the fund do not travel for the conferences or if they do travel, fail to attend all sessions, among others.
“I write to inform you that the Board of Trustees of the TETFund at its 81st Ordinary Meeting approved the suspension of both the foreign and local components of the Conference Attendance intervention for the 2020 Intervention Year,” the circular reads.
“This decision was informed by various observed infractions perpetrated by beneficiary institutions and the prospective conference attendees whose applications for sponsorship had been approved by the Funds.
“Several participants sponsored to attend conferences hardly travelled for the conferences, let alone attend it.
“Some participants travel to the venue, but will not attend the full sessions of the conference, instead, they involve themselves with other non-conference related issues.
“Some attendees are unlawfully and illegally sur-charged for no justifiable reasons by beneficiary institutions’ desk officers, thereby reducing the amount of money meant for the conference nominee.
“Conference Nominees making changes to conferences without recourse to the fund for approval.
“Some conferences are not a true reflection of what they are portrayed to be at the advertisement stage.
“Some other conferences are predatory, though they appear as academic or professional conferences,” the circular adds.
The circular, however, noted that applications made for 2017-2019 intervention years would be considered, while those made from March 2020 would not.
