The Nigerian government has approved N5.1 billion for the funding of 185 successful research proposals under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF).
The announcement, made on Wednesday, was disclosed in a statement by TETFund’s Director of Public Affairs, Abdulmumin Oniyangi.
The approval, granted by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, follows a thorough screening process conducted by the TETFund National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&M). This committee recommended the funding of 185 research proposals out of 4,287 concept notes received from prospective applicants since March 2023.
The allocated funds are distributed across thematic groups, with N3 billion earmarked for the Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI) category. Humanities and Social Science (HSS) will receive N75 million, while Cross Cutting (CC) is allocated N58 million, with individual grants ranging from N8 million to over N46 million.
Projects under the SETI thematic group include initiatives such as the development of intelligent multichamber evaporative cooling preservative systems and the creation of an electric vehicle with special tracking features.
Meanwhile, Cross-Cutting projects involve the utilization of scrap tires and plastic wastes for renewable energy storage systems and the development of an economical low voltage programmable electroporator.
Under the Humanities and Social Science category, approved projects encompass areas such as digital financial inclusion, equity, and inclusion in library resource access for visually impaired students in e-learning environments, and strategies to mitigate post-traumatic stress disorder among frontline Nigerian Army personnel.
TETFund emphasized that the National Research Fund (NRF) Grant is designed to encourage cutting-edge research addressing societal needs in key areas such as power and energy, health, security, agriculture, employment, and wealth creation.
This initiative aligns with TETFund’s mandate and has gained additional support under the Renewed Hope Agenda, aiming to stimulate economic growth and enhance the standard of living for Nigerians.
