President Bola Tinubu has approved N4,249,626,817.69 in grants to fund 158 research projects under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF) 2024 Grant Cycle, as announced by TETFund’s Director of Public Affairs, Abdulmumin Oniyangi, on August 5, 2025.
The funding, following a rigorous screening of 6,944 concept notes by the TETFund National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee, allocates N2.35 billion to Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI), N1.03 billion to Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), and N870.7 million to Cross-Cutting (CC) projects. Leading institutions include the Federal University of Technology, Minna, with 15 awards worth N400 million, and Ahmadu Bello University with 13 awards totaling N359.8 million.
The approved projects address critical national needs, including sustainable housing, hybrid fertilizers, AI-enabled medical monitoring for military use, and intelligent energy metering, aligning with TETFund’s mandate to drive innovation in health, security, agriculture, and energy, as detailed by New Telegraph and The Authority.
Additionally, the government has greenlit 18 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hubs across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with N1 billion each allocated to Federal University Dutse, University of Uyo, and University of Ibadan, and N750 million to 12 other institutions like Federal Polytechnic Bida and Auchi Polytechnic. These hubs will feature advanced labs for robotics, 3D printing, and AI to foster practical solutions.
