In continuation of efforts aimed at boosting Research and Development for economic and technological development in Nigeria, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration has approved the sum of N5,128,180,623.63 for the funding of 185 successful research proposals under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF) 2023 Grant Cycle.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced this decision, which followed the recommendations from the TETFund National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC). This committee had evaluated a substantial number of concept notes submitted by potential applicants, beginning in March 2023, which led to the approval of these 185 research proposals.
The distribution of funds allocated for the NRF 2023 Grant Cycle is as follows:
- Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI): N3,784,635,923.00
- Humanities and Social Science (HSS): N759,875,400.00
- Cross Cutting (CC): N583,669,300.63, with grant amounts varying from N8 million to over N46 million.
Notably, the SETI category includes research on sustainable water quality management, maize yield improvement, frugal cooling systems for fruit preservation, and electric vehicles with advanced tracking features. The CC category focuses on biofuel production from sugarcane bagasse, renewable energy storage, and low-voltage programmable electroporators for wound healing and cancer treatment. In the HSS category, there are studies on digital financial inclusion, accessibility to library resources for visually impaired students, and post-traumatic stress disorder treatment among military personnel.
The NRF Grant, established by TETFund, is designed to support groundbreaking research that addresses societal needs in Nigeria, such as power and energy, health, security, agriculture, job creation, and wealth generation. This initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, serving as a catalyst for economic expansion and enhancing the living conditions of the Nigerian populace.
Some of the approved research works according to their thematic groups include:
Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI)
- Application of the Hydro-Biogeochemical Framework to Develop a National Rural Water Quality Assurance Plan for Sustainable Water Quality Management in Nigeria
- Development and Use of Doubled Haploid Maize Lines for Improved Maize Yield and Tolerance to Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda)
- Development of an Intelligent Multichamber Evaporative Cooling Preservative System for Post-Harvest Storage of Selected Fruits in Nigeria
- Development of Electric Vehicle with Special Tracking Features, etc.
 Cross Cutting
- Development of a Cocktail of Novel Thermostable Recombinant Lignin Degrading Enzymes from Lignolytic Bacteria Genome for Biofuel Production from Sugarcane Bagasse
- Utilization of Scrap Tires and Plastic Wastes as aggregate Conductive Material for Renewable Energy Storage System
- Development of Appropriate Technology for Production of Aluminum Alloy Sacrificial Anodes for Applications in Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry
- Development of an Economical Low Voltage Programmable Electroporator and Investigation of Pulse Electric Field for Wound Healing and Cancer Treatment; etc.
Humanities and Social Science
- Digital Financial Inclusion, Rural Households’ Consumption Structure and Well-being in Nigeria
- Equity and Inclusion: Creating Access to Library Resources for Students Living with Vision Impairment in e-Learning Environment in Nigerian Universities
- Mitigating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Frontline Nigerian Army Personnel using Stress Inoculation Therapy; and others.
The National Research Fund (NRF) Grant was introduced by TETFund to encourage cutting-edge research which explore research areas relevant to societal needs of Nigeria such as power and energy, health, security, agriculture, employment and wealth creation etc., in line with its mandate.
The intervention received additional impetus under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration as a veritable tool to grow the economy and improve the standards of living of the Nigerian people.
