The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has approved 174 research grants valued at N7.5bn under the 2025 National Research Fund grant cycle as part of efforts to strengthen research and innovation in the tertiary institutions.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, announced the approval on Thursday, during a press conference in Abuja, saying the Federal Government was increasing support for research and development as a catalyst for economic transformation, job creation and national development.
Echono said research remained critical to unlocking Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources and driving innovation across key sectors of the economy.
“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.
According to him, research-driven innovation would help create new products and services, improve productivity and contribute to national prosperity.
The TETFund boss announced that the 2025 NRF selection process had been concluded following a rigorous multi-stage assessment conducted by the Fund’s National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee.
Explaining the process, Echono said applicants first submitted concept notes, which were reviewed before selected candidates were invited to submit full proposals.
Those proposals underwent another round of evaluation before shortlisted researchers were invited to Abuja to defend their projects.
“The third stage, the shortlisted researchers were invited to Abuja, and they had to do oral presentations to defend their proposals. And at the end of that, we have the eventual selection of the successful research proposals,” he said.
According to him, 174 grants were approved across key sectors of national development.
He noted, “A total of 174 grants were recommended and approved. And these went to a few single individuals, but the majority of them are research teams that participated in the exercise.
“The programmes and projects cut across various thematic areas, which we call various sectors and the total amount that we are recommending today is the sum of N7.5bn.”
The approved grants cover several priority areas, including health and social welfare, agriculture and food security, sustainable use of natural resources, science and engineering, power and energy, blue economy, defence technology, clean energy, education and human capital development, gender equity and social inclusion, as well as conflict, defence and security studies.
The TETFund Boss added, “The grants range from N13.6m to N49.97m each for the researchers.”
Echono disclosed that the Federal University of Technology, Minna, emerged as the top-performing institution with 18 grants. It was followed by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, with 11 grants, while Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, secured 10 grants. The University of Ilorin received eight grants.
Bayero University, Kano, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, each secured seven grants, while the University of Jos received six. The University of Ibadan, the University of Lagos and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, won five grants each.
He noted that newly established federal universities, state-owned institutions, polytechnics and colleges of education also featured among successful beneficiaries.
Among the new federal universities that secured grants were the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State; the Federal University of Environment and Technology, Koroma/Sakpenwa, Rivers State; and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti.
State-owned institutions that received grants include Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ekiti State University, Kwara State University, Adamawa State University, Rivers State University and Sokoto State University.
Several polytechnics and colleges of education also emerged successfully in the competitive process.
Echono congratulated the successful institutions and researchers and announced that preparations would soon begin for the 2026 NRF grant cycle.