…Set to Spend N3bn on High Impact  Research

Paul Obi in Abuja
In a move to scale up research in the education sector, the federal government yesterday said government had set aside over N3 billion for high impact research intervention fund  for researchers in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, stated this in a parley with journalists in Abuja, insisting that government does not have any plan to extend TETFUND intervention to private institutions in Nigeria.

According to Baffa, “research is one of the core mandate of the fund, the fund is supposed to bridge the infrastructural gap in our public tertiary institutions.

“We have been supporting research institutions, where we can allocate up to N15 million for academics  in the Universities and up to N10 million to academics  in polytechnics and colleges of education.

These are research grants awarded to qualified scholars that participated in a rigorous process of screening, after sending their proposals,” he said.
Baffa explained that “about N3 billion has been earmarked to support the high impact research at the National Research Fund level.

“We also distribute research funds annually to universities to support degree research, where staff of benefiting universities are conducting research and they are supported and individual or independent research are also funded through the National Research Fund.
“Research is one of our focal point, we are determined to support cutting edge research that would lead to turn around the fortune of Nigeria.

“Such research would increase our production and improve our efficiency and improve the lives of our citizens. “The more we research the more we industrialise our country. And the more we create more jobs”, he said. On inclusion of private tertiary institutions on TETFUND, intervention fund he said: “I won’t Suggest a public  should be given to private institutions. We don’t have any plan to extend the fund to private institutions,” TETFUND boss added.

Related Articles