President Muhammadu Buhari has approved an increase for the National Research Fund, NRF, of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, to the sun of N7.5 billion for the year 2020 from an initial N3 billion. Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, who disclosed this at the 2020 TETFund Board of Trustees, BoT, Retreat in Abuja, said the latest approval makes the agency the largest holder of research grants in Nigeria.
Bogoro further disclosed that President Buhari has also approved the establishment of six medical simulation research and clinical training facilities in six colleges of medicine in each geopolitical zone within the year. The approval, according to him, has provided an opportunity for TETFund to provide twelve Covid-19 and related infectious disease molecular laboratories, two in each geopolitical zone, making the fund the highest single provider of Covid-19 test centres in Nigeria.
He further disclosed that the BoT of TETFund, has approved over N200 million, to sponsor some Covid-19 research proposals mainly from universities and NAFDAC. “In addition, the BOT also endorsed and was subsequently approved by the President that six Medical Simulation Research and Clinical Training facilities in six Colleges of Medicine (one in each geopolitical zone) are to be established this year.
“Individually, this provided an opportunity for twelve COVID-19 and related infectious disease Molecular Laboratories to be provided (two in each geopolitical zone), thus making TETFund the highest single provider of COVID-19 test Centres in Nigeria.” The BOT also approved that TETFund sponsors some COVID-19 Research proposals to the tune of over N200 million, mainly from Universities and NAFDAC, this being one of the reasons TETFund has recently been made the Secretariat for the Nigeria Covid-19 Research Consortium R&D,” Bogoro stated.
