The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, has said the organisation will fund Centres of Excellence for innovative research in the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Mr Bagore said two to three of such centres would be promoted with special funds allocation in each of the zones.
“This is to replicate ‘African Centres of Excellence being prompted by international agencies in order to encourage indigenous innovative research and learning activities,” he said.
The executive secretary said this at a meeting with management and Governing Council of Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.
“TETFund is vigoriously focused on supporting relevant Research and Development in tertiary institutions to fast track industrial growth toward enhancing productivity and human empowerment,” Mr Bagore said.
He explained that the effort coincided with that of National Universities Commission, NUC, using Triple helix concept of innovation concept.
According to him, the two are twin concepts that refer to a set of interactions between academia, industry and governments, to foster economic and social development.
Mr Bogoro described good academic leadership as backbone of success in all institutions while poor leadership negatively affect all professional progression and development.
”With composition of academics in UDUS and others, Nigeria has no excuse, other than to rise and lead not only Africa but the world,” he said.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a N5 billion National Research Fund to stimulate progress in the academia.
The executive secretary noted that emphasis would be geared towards application of academic researches that would facilitate growth in various sectors.
“TETFund also provides N5 million intervention for producing journals with our scholars’ content targeted at addressing our immediate challenges.
“The past trend of low production and reliance on foreign ones is minimized and at present, more indeginous journals are visible and indexed.”
He said, ”Mutual dispute between academia and industries is among the bases that forced universities not to run appropriately.
“Research on problem solving suitable to our Nigerian content and environmental growth are the best option to industrial development.
“Many Nigerian Universities are becoming stronger, competing with foreign universities in terms of quality research harvests and academic excellence.”
He added that TETFund had introduced drafting of concept notes before research proposals and out of 3,000 applications received, 415 were successful.
NAN
