The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund) has approved the sum of N292.7 billion for disbursement to selected public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Executive Secretary of TETFund Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting of stakeholders of beneficiary institutions.
He said the intervention was approved by the federal government to be disbursed to higher institutions in each of the six geo-political zones in the country.
One university in each of the six geo-political zones will receive N906 million, while one polytechnic and a college of education in the zones will receive N628 million each.
According to him, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been consistent in approving funds to see that academics churn out quality research that would address emerging challenges bedevilling the country.
He said, this accounted for the setting up of the National Research Foundation which has consistently increased from N3 billion to N8.5 billion in recent times.
Bagoro disclosed that further that the federal government has handed over the completion of the National Library headquarters in Abuja to TETFund, stressing that the library project represents an important national asset that should not be ignored on account of funding challenges.
He noted Nigeria was moving closer to an emergence of a National Research and Development Foundation.
Bogoro challenged academics to turn around the fortunes of the country through cutting-edge research.
“Let us apply our innovative research outcomes to solve the security problem, let us bring back value addition to the solid minerals that we are blessed with, it is one gold we have not explored to any significant level,” he said.
Commenting on the 2021 research grants to lecturers, the TETFund boss called on academics to live up to expectations by writing good proposals, stressing that the TETFund is always ready to finance such academic exercise.
“I have signed 217 letters of allocation for the research grants that we are issuing out, “This is the highest research grant ever. It has never gone beyond 200, Bogoro said.
Speaking on the recent special allocations by the TETFund’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Bogoro said N5 billion each was approved for the University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, for massive infrastructural development.
The TETFund boss said N1 billion was also approved for the fencing of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and another N1 billion for Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo.
He added that more tertiary institutions would benefit from the special allocations soon.
Bogoro said TETFund is also providing support to boost research activities in Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), among others, to address the nation’s security challenges.
He said the fund has also intervened in the health sector by providing N1 billion to one university in each of the six geo-political zones for medical research as well as providing facilities for treatment of major ailments like prostate cancer, kidney problems, among others
“With the Urology and kidney facilities made available, we are expecting a number of our teaching hospitals to come up with the capacity, granted the equipment we provided, they should be able to do kidney transplant etc, in our universities.
“We intend to continue strengthening some in terms of cancer facilities, urology research clinical facilities and heart facilities,” he said.
Bogoro said further that
the Board of TETFund has approved the review of course sponsorship abroad.
According to him, more emphasis would be placed on master or PhD programmes that are science-based.
He said the overseas masters and PhD courses specialisation includes Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Biosciences, Biomedical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Industrial Systems and Engineering, Geosciences, Behavioural Sciences, Nuclear Engineering, Oceanography, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, among others.
