The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has introduced the award of N7.5 billion in research grants to 174 research teams drawn from tertiary establishments throughout Nigeria.
The grants, awarded beneath the 2025 National Research Fund Fycle, adopted a rigorous and extremely aggressive choice course of involving proposal submissions, evaluations, and bodily oral defence periods performed in Abuja.
Speaking throughout a press briefing on the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed that the profitable tasks had been chosen after intensive scrutiny by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC).
According to him, the grants lower throughout crucial sectors of nationwide growth, together with well being, agriculture, meals safety, training, vitality, science and engineering, nationwide defence, expertise, blue economic system, battle decision, gender inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
He mentioned the grants awarded to particular person research teams vary from N13.69 million to N49.98 million, reflecting the dimensions and strategic significance of the authorised tasks.
“A total of 174 grants were awarded to various research teams across thematic areas of national priority at a total sum of N7.5 billion,” he mentioned.
He defined that the choice train started with the submission of idea notes, after which shortlisted candidates had been invited to submit full proposals and defend them orally earlier than the ultimate approval of profitable tasks.
The Federal University of Technology, Minna, emerged because the establishment with the best variety of profitable purposes, securing 18 research grants, whereas the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, adopted with 11 grants.
Other establishments that recorded sturdy performances embrace Ahmadu Bello University with 10 grants, the University of Ilorin with eight, Bayero University Kano and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, with seven every, the University of Jos with six, and the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, with 5 grants apiece.
The Executive Secretary disclosed that a number of new federal universities had been among the many beneficiaries within the 2025 funding cycle. These embrace the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia; the Federal University of Environment and Technology, Koroma Saakpenwa, Ogoni; and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti.
According to him, their success is a optimistic growth for the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen research tradition and innovation throughout rising tertiary establishments.
State-owned universities additionally featured prominently among the many beneficiaries, with establishments comparable to Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ekiti State University, Kwara State University, Adamawa State University, Rivers State University, and Sokoto State University securing grants beneath the scheme.
The polytechnic sector was not omitted, as establishments together with Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Federal Polytechnic Bida, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Federal Polytechnic Moguno, Federal Polytechnic Ile-Oluji, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, Kaduna Polytechnic, Yaba College of Technology, and Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, acquired funding assist.
Among the Colleges of Education that secured grants had been the College of Education, Katsina; Osun State College of Education, Ilesa; and Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsin-Ma.
While congratulating the profitable researchers and establishments, the TETFund Executive Secretary described the awards as the end result of a rigorous and clear choice course of aimed toward supporting high-impact research able to addressing Nigeria’s growth priorities.
He additional introduced that preparations for the 2026 National Research Fund cycle would start quickly and inspired lecturers and researchers throughout tertiary establishments to begin growing modern proposals and put together their idea notes forward of the graduation of purposes.