The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has established a National Contact Point to serve as a medium for information distribution on opportunities as part of its mandate on research and innovation.
This was said at the unveiling of the Nigerian Contact Network program for 2023–2024 in Abuja by TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono.
According to him, Nigeria has not yet fully embraced the European Union’s structure for funding research.
According to Echono, the procedure was established to ensure that national researchers successfully utilize the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme, particularly the Horizon Europe to promote innovation.
“TETFund is supporting research groups from various Nigerian universities through the provision of training and mentoring on writing successful grant applications, project management, partnership and consortia development to further complement and extend the support being made available by EU delegates.
“Currently, the Fund has released a request for expression of interest for Nigerian researchers and Research Teams. TETFUND will spearhead the formation of a bilateral agreement on research and innovation between Nigeria and the EU, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Science and Technology and innovation,” he said.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Monisola Udoh clarified the need for collaboration is to help Nigeria establish a knowledge-based economy through research.
“And we can not create good knowledge if we don’t do research and the whole purpose of this gathering is about supporting R&D for national development and am looking forward to a situation when Nigeria can trade benefits from this operation and our researchers are better empowered to do relevant research for national development.
“We need to focus on local problems that are human problems and if we can get the solution right here, Nigeria may become the provider of solutions that will address humanity issues globally.”
