The Federal Government has announced plans to develop a framework that will ensure Nigerian students sponsored abroad on government scholarships return to the country after completing their studies to contribute to national development.
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, revealed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the maiden edition of the TETFund National Town Hall Meeting. He said the initiative will help address the growing challenge of Nigerians who fail to return after studying abroad.
Echono explained that the move was part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader reforms aimed at strengthening the education sector and retaining skilled manpower within the country. He said the President has directed relevant ministries and agencies to design a policy that tackles the “brain drain” phenomenon, especially among beneficiaries of government-sponsored academic training overseas.
“Mr President complained that so many of the people we send abroad for studies do not return, and he felt it was unfair,” Echono said. “He has therefore instructed that we must put measures in place, not to stop training abroad entirely, but to ensure that those who go are properly bonded and return to contribute their knowledge to national development.”
The TETFund boss said the Federal Government will focus on identifying key sectors where Nigeria needs to compete globally and ensure that scholars trained in those areas come back to apply their expertise locally. He emphasized that the framework was not designed to punish beneficiaries but to protect national investments in education and human capital.
“When we train people, they must come back to put their knowledge to use here and help build our economy,” he added.
Echono also spoke on President Tinubu’s firm commitment to education reforms, noting that the President’s decision to raise the education tax from 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent reflects his priority for human capital development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The President has consistently shown that education lies at the heart of his Renewed Hope Agenda. His decision to raise and maintain the education tax at 3 per cent, in spite of pressures to reduce it, is a reflection of his deep belief in education as the foundation for national transformation,” he said.
He further revealed that new interventions are being rolled out across tertiary institutions to modernize learning environments and improve student welfare. Among the key projects, he mentioned the construction of new student hostels under the Renewed Hope Initiative, with two new facilities scheduled for commissioning before the end of the year in Akwa Ibom State.
Echono added that the government is also introducing a campus transportation scheme that will feature electric vehicles to promote sustainability and modernize mobility within campuses.
He noted that President Tinubu has also demonstrated compassion toward Nigerian youths through the National Student Loan Scheme, a flagship program designed to ensure access to higher education for all citizens.
Under the loan scheme, no student will be denied admission or forced to drop out due to financial hardship, as repayment only begins after securing gainful employment. “This initiative reflects the President’s belief that every Nigerian child, regardless of background, deserves an opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed,” Echono said.
He assured that TETFund remains committed to expanding access to education, enhancing infrastructure, and driving innovation within Nigeria’s tertiary education system. Echono added that the Fund would continue to partner with institutions and stakeholders to strengthen the delivery of higher education across the country.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of TETFund, Aminu Masari, described the 2025 National Town Hall Meeting as a major step in the Fund’s efforts to deepen transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability in the tertiary education system.
Masari said the meeting marked a significant milestone in bringing the Fund closer to its stakeholders, following a series of zonal town hall meetings held earlier across the six geopolitical zones. “This meeting represents a significant milestone in our collective journey toward building a more transparent, inclusive, and responsive tertiary education system,” he said.
The BoT chairman commended President Tinubu’s leadership and policy direction, which have strengthened tertiary education governance in the country. He also outlined three key pillars driving the Board’s reform agenda: transforming tertiary education into a driver of innovation and productivity, strengthening accountability and impact measurement, and expanding the frontiers of research, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Masari stressed that the main goal of these reforms is to ensure that TETFund’s interventions result in practical improvements in teaching, learning, and research while enhancing the global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates.
“The overarching goal is to ensure that our interventions translate into tangible improvements in teaching, learning, and research while enhancing the global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates,” he said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, also commended TETFund for its transformational role in developing infrastructure, research, and human capacity across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Represented by Dr Muhammed Bulama, a former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Idris said the Fund’s success is a vindication of the long struggle by university lecturers and education stakeholders for improved investment in higher education.
He emphasized that the Federal Government’s continued investment in education aligns with the goal of building a knowledge-driven economy that supports innovation, productivity, and sustainable growth.