The Federal Government has stated why Nigerian Universities are unable to access its N3 billion Research Grant, attributing it to poorly written proposals.
Disclosing this on Monday was the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie, while declaring open a workshop on Grant Writing for Universities in Nigeria in Abuja.
The workshop was organised by NUC in collaboration with Moorhouse College, Atlanta, USA and the Gregory University, Uturu,
Prof Okojie recalled that government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) about three years ago launched the N3billion Research Grant to assist tertiary institutions in conducting cutting-age researches aimed at propelling national development.
However, he regretted that so far, only N266 million has been accessed by few institutions that turned in acceptable proposals, leaving over N2.5 billion un-accessed.
“Every day we lose out in competition for grants. And as we sit here today, we are amazed at the poor draw down of funds for research in university system.
“I listen to one Pro-Chancellor, not too long ago, from a University in a North-West, that a University couldn’t spend N10 million for research because even the in-house research proposals are poorly written. This has implication for research and publication,” the NUC boss lamented.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Local Organising Committee of the event, Prof. Adebisi Balogun, informed that the workshop was organised to assist the system to build capacity of Nigerian academics for a sustainable research culture and rekindling the spirit of “Grantmanship”.
According to him, Nigeria is gradually losing grip of that culture of research that brought glory and recognition to Higher Education Institution in the 1960s and up to the early 1980s as revealed by the World Development Report.
Prof Balogun said, “this workshop was planned to help re-invigorate the culture of research as a potent tool and bridge between teaching and community service for enhanced global visibility and improved national development and also assist our tertiary institutions in nurturing future innovators for the production of national and global champions”.
