By Martin Odiete

The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro has stated unequivocally that President Mohammadu Buhari is fully committed to the development of research works in Nigeria which informed the approval of the highest ever allocation of N5 billion for National Research Fund (NRF) in the TETFund 2019 intervention budget.

Speaking at the third Inauguration of the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&M) on Wednesday in Abuja, Bogoro said President Muhammadu Buhari, had at various fora expressed his displeasure about the low level of research work in Nigeria promising to redress the situation.

Bogor said, “This commitment has been actualised with the approval of the highest ever allocation of N5 billion for NRF in the TETFund 2019 Intervention Budgets.

“These funds are intended to catalyse cutting-edge research in three thematic areas of Science, Technology and Innovation, Humanities and Social Sciences; as well as other disciplines.

“This is geared towards contributing to the National Development efforts of the Federal Government in tackling national challenges’’ he said.

According to Bogoro, NRF was established in 2009 by the Fund to reinvigorate the research activities and address the paucity of funds required to conduct high quality research in Nigerian Tertiary institutions.

“A seed fund of N3 billion was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2011 for the initial take-off of NRF activities, to an additional N1 billion that was added in 2015.

“TETFund, through the NRF intervention line, has allocated N2.6 billion to 113 research projects from 2011-2019 in five batches, out of which N1.6 billion has been disbursed.

“Since inception, the committee has screened and recommended 113 researches from five batches of research proposals and the Board of Trustees approved funding of up to N50 million grants.

“As at today, only 10 research projects have been concluded and closed out. This confirms that the pace of conducting research by the researchers has been very slow.

“We, therefore expect this committee to change the narrative. To achieve this, we thought we should bring academics of repute that can devote their time and energy to deeply review research proposals’’ the ES said.

TETFUND Executive Secretary then charged members of the committee to outdo the work previous committees have done in the past urging them to identified fundable proposals through various mechanisms of the committee for sponsorship.

“We expect the committee to pre-qualify applications for research grants from academics in beneficiary institutions to ensure that they are in compliance with the approved template for accessing TETFund NRF grant.

“They should categorise pre-qualified research proposals into streams and disciplines to ease appointing assessors and Reviewers.

“The committee should recommend pre-qualified and categorised proposals, serve as members of the NRF proposal defence panel.

“Monitor and report progress of ongoing research work and carry out any other responsibilities as may be assigned by the Fund,’’ the TETFund boss stated.

Responding to the TETFUND Executive Secretary charges, Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro commended Bogoro for the determination and commitment he has displayed in the development of Research work in Nigeria.

He affirmed the role research work plays in the development of the social economic life of a Nation or state.

……Prof. Suleiman confirms disbursement of N208bn allocation for 2019 tertiary intervention fund

TETFUND Executive Secretary, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro confirmed on Thursday that the Fund has disbursed a total sum of N208 billion as total allocation for 2019 tertiary institutions fund.

Bogoro disclosed this while making his speech during the annual meeting of TETFund beneficiary institutions in Abuja, revealing also that universities got N826, 684, 392.00, polytechnics got the sum of N566, 701, 842. 00 and Colleges of Education received  N542, 226, 346.00 each.

He said that 18 institutions drawn from six geopolitical zones in the country were to receive special high impact interventions.

Bogoro also explained that the 18 institutions that were critically selected in line with the provided guidelines, received N5 billion for the intervention.

He said that six universities would receive N3 billion each, six polytechnics N1 billion each and N1 billion each would go to six Colleges of Education.

TETFund boss said that the Fund had ensured that the beneficiary institutions, who are recipients of the education tax utilise them judiciously.

According to him, the agency is monitoring projects and programmes approved for them by Board of Trustees.

”The Fund had undergone some internal restructuring and realignment for better and efficient service delivery,” he said.

Bogoro said a total of 55 Colleges of Education have benefited from micro teaching laboratory, construction and furnishing.

TETFund boss added that the sum of N19, 977, 522, 916.59 had successfully been disbursed between January and June 2019 for physical infrastructure and library interventions.

He pointed out that the issue of stranded scholars abroad, which caused the nation and the fund embarrassment had been revisited promptly.

Bogoro, however, said that appropriate steps have been undertaken by the Fund to eliminate the lapses that led to the situation.

Meanwhile, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) commended TETFund in the role played in ensuring the development of the country, especially as it concerns physical infrastructure in tertiary institutions.

Rasheed, however, said that the rising number of tertiary institutions was a challenge, which reduces interventions to the institutions.

He added that in 2019, the country has the largest number of intervention of the institution as more institutions were created.

According to him, Nigeria needs more universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education but TETFund also needs to be protected so that the volume of intervention can be protected.

”The rising number of institutions is a challenge. Nigeria needs more institutions of tertiary education to provide more access to quality education.

”However, TETFund is also worry that with many institutions, the value of its intervention is minimised,” he said.

Rasheed, therefore, called on administrators of the various institutions to efficiently and successfully administer the funds while also urging them to be proactive in the processing of the fund.

He also called on Chief Executives of the institutions to engage other officials in their various institutions on utilisation of the fund.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari approved N161 billion for varsities, others as 2018 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention budget for 2019 intervention activities in accordance with the provisions of TETFund Act 2011.

Each public university in Nigeria got an allocation of N785,832,700; Polytechnic gets N536,703,502; and College of Education will get N510,084,900.