The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro, on Tuesday, revealed that more than 90 per cent of lecturers in Nigerian universities are now doctorate degree holders as a result of the focus on academic staff training and development by the Fund.
He noted that this was a tremendous improvement over nine years ago when it was recorded that only 40 per cent of university lecturers in the country had PhDs, and by 2015, over 60 per cent had acquired PhDs.
Bogoro spoke in Abuja while receiving a contingent of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPS), Kuru, Senior Executive Course 43, 2021, at the TETFund Headquarters, Abuja.
On National Research Fund, he disclosed that the Fund’s approvals for research grants would be doubled in 2021, from over 128 approvals made in 2020, adding that the approvals would be announced as soon the Board of Trustees gives its nod.
According to him, qualified institutions will draw a maximum of N50 million research grants from the N7.5 billion National Research Fund (NRF).
The TETFund boss said in the 2021 budget, which is awaiting approval, the agency will fund the establishment of more molecular labs and research on gene sequencing and phytogenic medicine, as well as vaccine research and production, as a key area of unravelling the lethal COVID-19 pandemic.
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He said under the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari, the fund provided research intervention between N250 to N300 million, to set up, at least, a quarter of the molecular labs established in the country.
He also disclosed that funds were made available to some medical research institutes and colleges for the purpose of research.
He commended Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi for its ingenuity in formulating a system of tracking cattle that have been rustled; as well as Redeemers University for its advanced research on gene sequencing; and Covenant University for being ranked among the best universities in the world.
While speaking on NIPS, Bogoro said since the institute was carefully constituted in 1979, it has remained so with representation from the military, various ministries, and others, who are working on behalf of the country with a high sense of responsibility.
On the TETFund’s impact, he said one of the priority areas of the fund’s intervention was the academic staff development, adding that human capital development is at the centre of the fund’s interventions.
He urged NIPS and statutorily non-beneficiary institutions to use windows of partnership with beneficiary institutions and apply for research grants through them.
The TETFund boss added that the law only allows the fund to provide funds directly to university, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Earlier, the Acting Director-General of NIPS, Brig. Gen. Chukwuemeka Udaya said the institute which is over 43 years has carefully served every government.
Udaya disclosed the issue for study in 2021 is getting things done, adding that this year, seven groups are visiting various institutions including TETFund which has been active in getting things done.
Over 90 per cent of university lecturers now PhD holders