The Nigerian government has approved over N4.7 billion in research grants for academics at Nigerian public universities.
The grant, shared among 219 research groups, is part of the 2021 round of funding from the National Research Fund (NRF) program of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETF Fund).
In 2019, TETFond supported 128 beneficiaries with 3.9 billion and N7.5 billion in 2020.
After vetting 4,810 concept notes submitted for the 2021 funding cycle, TETFund approved N4.7 billion for 219 research groups, TETFund Acting Director of Public Affairs Abdul Mumin Oniyangi said in a statement.
“This followed a report from the TETFund National Research Fund Selection and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC) which recommended funding for all 219 research proposals after a rigorous selection exercise that began with the receipt of 4,810 Concept Notes from potential applicants. in November 2021,” he said. saying.
He said a large part of the grant, N3 billion, went to the Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI) thematic group, while N800 million was approved for humanities and social sciences.
It said: “A breakdown of the approval indicates that the sum of N3,066,156,844.61 was approved for the thematic group Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI); N806,381,998.00 for Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), while Cross Cutting (CC) received N864,242,509.60, with individual grants ranging from N4.5 million to over N41 million.
Coverage Areas
Mr. Oniyangi said the approved research papers are designed to enhance national development in areas including the molecular epidemiology of recurrent cholera outbreaks in Nigeria and the preclinical evaluation of indigenous medicinal plants for management.
He listed others to include: “Effective high-throughput phenotyping and artificial pollination to improve yield in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) with autonomous drones, and investigation of Nigerian medicinal plants as sources of lead compounds for the development of chemotherapeutic interventions.” for uterine fibroid, and Production of cartridges made of hydrocarbon for wastewater treatment from textiles and tanneries in Nigeria: ″Emerging technology for sustainable water purification using biomass residues; all under the thematic group of Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI)”.
“The projects of the cross-cutting thematic group include the design and manufacture of an efficient solar energy storage system for the generation of electricity in rural communities; Adaptation of Conventional Septic Tanks to Biodigesters for Sustainable Energy Generation and Viable Economy for Domestic Use in Nigeria, and Development of Polymer Soilcrete Blocks and Pozzolanic Cement Concrete for Integrated and Sustainable Mass Housing in Nigeria, among others.
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“Approved in Social Sciences are Development and evaluation of a phytoestrogenic transdermal nanogel for the management of symptoms of menopause and associated diseases; Manufacture and characterization of new series of glass from rice hull minerals and bismuth tin for its application in protection against radiation and green path for the production of barite towards the decarbonization of the mining sector in Nigeria, among others”.
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which connects local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on hidden issues around the world.
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