TETFund authorizes 174 projects for N7.5 billion in research funds.

 

n a move to boost research and innovation in postsecondary institutions, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund has granted 174 research grants totaling N7.5 billion under the 2025 National Research Fund grant cycle.

During a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, announced the approval and stated that the Federal Government was stepping up its support for research and development as a catalyst for job creation, economic transformation, and national development.

According to Echono, research is still essential to utilizing Nigeria's abundant natural and human resources and fostering innovation in important economic sectors.

We believe strongly that if we can use the knowledge in our tertiary institutions and we can harness those intellectual talents and deploy them efficiently, we will be able to better utilise our natural resources,” he said

.He claimed that research-driven innovation will boost productivity, produce new goods and services, and advance national prosperity.

The head of the TETFund declared that the 2025 NRF selection process was finished after the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee of the Fund carried out a thorough multi-stage evaluation.

Echono described the procedure as follows: before chosen contenders were asked to submit complete ideas, applicants submitted concept notes, which were then examined.

Prior to the shortlisted researchers being called to Abuja to defend their studies, those proposals were subjected to an additional round of examination.

In the third phase, the researchers who made the short list were invited to Abuja and required to defend their proposals orally. And the final selection of the successful research projects comes at the conclusion of that," he stated.

He claims that 174 grants were authorized in important areas of the country's development.

"A total of 174 grants were recommended and approved," he stated. Most of these are research teams that took part in the exercise, but a small number went to single people.

 "The total amount that we are recommending today is the sum of N7.5 billion, and the programs and projects cut across various thematic areas, which we call various sectors." 

Health and social welfare, agriculture and food security, sustainable use of natural resources, science and engineering, power and energy, blue economy, defense technology, clean energy, education and human capital development, gender equity and social inclusion, and conflict, defense, and security studies are just a few of the priority areas covered by the approved grants. 

"The grants range from N13.6m to N49.97m each for the researchers," the TETFund Boss continued.

With 18 grants, Echono revealed that the Federal University of Technology, Minna, was the best-performing university. Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria received ten awards, while the Federal University of Technology in Owerri received eleven. Eight grants were awarded to the University of Ilorin.

The University of Jos received six awards, while Bayero University in Kano and Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka each received seven. Each of Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, the University of Lagos, and the University of Ibadan received five grants.

He pointed out that among the successful recipients were recently founded federal universities, state-owned establishments, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

The Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, Kaduna State; the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Koroma/Sakpenwa, Rivers State; and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences in Iyin Ekiti were among the newly established federal universities that were awarded monies.

Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ekiti State University, Kwara State University, Adamawa State University, Rivers State University, and Sokoto State University are among the state-owned establishments that were awarded funding.

During the competitive process, a number of polytechnics and colleges of education also became victorious.

Echono said that the 2026 NRF grant cycle preparations would shortly start and congratulated the successful institutions and researchers.

The ES stated, "We encourage all researchers in the country to take advantage of that opportunity to express interest and to participate on the assurance that they will go through a process that is transparent, very competitive, but also a learning process." 

He continued by saying that the program was assisting Nigerian researchers in becoming more competitive when applying for funds for overseas research. The head of the TETFund clarified that a specialized committee made up of seasoned academics, business leaders, and members of prestigious academic organizations oversees grant administration, and that payments are linked to performance benchmarks and tracked by authorized work plans. 

He claims that despite delays in some projects brought on by difficulties like insecurity, accountability measures incorporated into the system have avoided misuse of research funds.

Echono also disclosed that throughout the previous three years, research projects funded by the TETFund had produced over 55 patents.

"In fact, we have about 55 patents that have come from our researchers in the last three years," he said.

In order to present research findings and link innovators with financiers, manufacturers, investors, and other stakeholders, he also announced plans for another National Research Fair in November.

In response to inquiries from reporters, Echono highlighted a number of advancements made possible by TETFund-funded research, such as mechanized gari processing systems, enhanced seed varieties, water purification systems, wind-powered energy technologies, hearing aids, electric cars, and locally produced fire engines.

In order to hasten the commercialization and widespread acceptance of locally produced technologies, he continued, TETFund was collaborating with organizations and producers.

Inadequate infrastructure, a lack of financing for research, and an increasing need to match academic work with national development priorities are just a few of the ongoing issues facing the tertiary education system in recent years.

In response, FG has increased the scope of focused initiatives, like competitive research grants, through the TETFund with the goal of raising the caliber and applicability of academic output.