The Federal Government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), has approved N292.66 billion for disbursement to some public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, said the intervention, which has been okayed by the Federal Government, would be spread to higher education institutions in each of the six geo-political zones.
At least one university from each of the six- geo-political zones would receive N906.8 million while about N628.4 million will go to one polytechnic and one college of education from each of the six geo-political zones.
Bogoro made these known on Tuesday while welcoming all heads of beneficiary institutions to a one-day stakeholders’ meeting at the Nigeria Air Force Conference Centre, Abuja.
At the meeting, Bogoro explained that the responsibility of completing the national headquarters of National Library of Nigeria project has been handed over to TETFund by the FG.
He said the library project represented an important national asset that should not be ignored on account of funding challenges.
Bogoro also stressed the importance of research to national development, saying the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has been consistent in approving funds to see that academics churn out quality research that would address emerging challenges bedeviling the country.
He said this accounted for the setting up of the National Research Fund, which has increased from N3 billion to N8.5 billion in recent times.
Bogoro, who expressed delight that Nigeria is moving closer to an emergence of a National Research and Development Foundation, challenged academics to turn around the fortunes of the country through cutting- edge research.
On the 2021 research grants to lecturers, Bogoro called on the nation’s academics to live up to expectations by churning out good proposals, saying that the Fund is always ready to finance such academic exercise.
