The Federal Government has approved N292.66 billion to select public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
Executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Suleiman Bogoro, who disclosed this at a stakeholders briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, said the intervention would be spread to tertiary institutions in each of the six geo-political zones in the country.
According to the 2021 disbursement plans, TETFund is to give N906 million to one university each from the six geo-political zones while N628 million will go to one polytechnic and one college of education from each of the six geo-political zones.
The ES also informed that 217 reserve grants to lecturers have been approved, the highest number on record.
“I have signed the letters of allocation for the research grants that we are issuing out, 217. This is the highest research grant ever. It has never gone beyond 200”, he said.
He called on the nation’s academics to live up to expectations by churning out good proposals, saying that the fund is always ready to finance such academic exercise.
“Let us apply our innovative research outcome 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.
Bogoro also expressed delight that Nigeria is moving closer to an emergence of a National Research and Development Foundation to turn around the fortunes of the country through cutting-edge research.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari has been consistent in approving funds to see that academics churn out quality research that would address emerging challenges bedeviling 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.
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Speaking on the recent special allocations by the TETFund’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Bogoro revealed that N5 billion each was approved for University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for massive infrastructural projects’ 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, adding that more tertiary institutions would benefit from the special allocations in not too distant time.
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.
On TETFund’s intervention in the health sector, Bogoro stated that the Fund has provided N1 billion to one university in 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 further informed that the responsibility of completing the National Library Project in Abuja has been bestowed on TETFund.
According to him, the library project represents an important national asset that shouldn’t be ignored on account of funding challenges.
The ES also explained that the Board of TETFund has approved the review of course sponsorship abroad.
According to him, more emphasis would now be placed on masters or PhD programmes that are science-based.
Among the overseas masters and PhD courses specialisations with effect from August 2021 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.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of allocation letters to the beneficiary institutions.
