FAVOUR ISHEMBER, Abuja
As Nigeria ramps up efforts to build a knowledge-driven economy, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has approved 174 research grants worth ₦7.5 billion. The funding backs work in food security, healthcare, clean energy, defence technology, robotics and other priority sectors.
The awards fall under the 2025 National Research Fund (NRF) cycle.
TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono who announced the awards which fall under the 2025 National Research Fund, NRF, cycle, in Abuja, said the agency’s selection followed a strict nationwide process with proposal vetting, technical assessments and oral defence sessions.
He hinted that this funding round ranks among the biggest research investments in Nigeria’s tertiary education space in recent years. It will back research teams in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Each grant ranges from ₦13.7 million to ₦49.98 million.
Winners came through a fiercely competitive process aimed at picking projects that can deliver practical answers to Nigeria’s economic and social problems.
“We are investing in research because that is how nations create wealth, build industries and solve problems,” Echono said.
The approved grants cut across multiple national priority areas such as Health and Social Welfare, Agriculture and Food Security, Science and Engineering, Power and Energy, Blue Economy, Clean and Affordable Energy.
Other areas include Education and Human Capital Development, Sustainable Natural Resources, Gender and Social Inclusion, Conflict, Defence and Security Innovation and Technology for National Defence Capabilities.
TETFund said the intervention is meant to strengthen Nigeria’s research ecosystem and speed up the conversion of academic research into market-ready products, services and technologies. The projects should deliver solutions in key sectors while boosting innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation.
The ES said Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna topped the 2025 grant cycle with 18 grants, the highest won by any institution in the country.
The next highest were FUT Owerri which won 11 grants, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, won 10, University of Ilorin won 8, Bayero University, Kano won 7.
Other winners include Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka with 7 wins,University of Jos won 6, University of Ibadan won 5,University of Lagos won 5, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto won 5.
The outcome highlights the growing dominance of science and technology focused institutions in Nigeria’s research field. Together, the top 10 institutions secured 82 grants, nearly 47% of all awards under the 2025 cycle.
In a notable development, Echono said newly established federal universities also won grants, showing research capacity is rising despite their short history:
Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Federal University of Environment and Technology, Koroma Saakpenwa, Ogoni, Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti.
Their success points to the emergence of a new crop of research-focused universities nationwide.
Several state-owned universities also got funding: Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ekiti State University, Kwara State University, Adamawa State University, Rivers State University, and Sokoto State University.
Polytechnics were included too, reinforcing TETFund’s push to promote applied research and technological innovation beyond universities. Successful polytechnics are Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Federal Polytechnic Bida, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Federal Polytechnic Ile-Oluji, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, Kaduna Polytechnic, Yaba College of Technology, and Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic.
For Colleges of Education, beneficiaries include College of Education Katsina, Osun State College of Education Ilesa, and Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsin-Ma.
The TETFund boss revealed that the intervention reflects a wider government plan to position research and innovation as drivers of economic growth. Adding that the goal goes beyond academic publications to developing technologies, startups, patents and commercial solutions that can tackle Nigeria’s development challenges.
The Fund believes stronger collaboration between academia, industry and government can unlock new opportunities in agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, renewable energy and national security.
TETFund also reported that Nigeria has climbed continental research rankings, moving from 8th to 4th in Africa over the past two years. The next target, according to the Executive Secretary, is to become Africa’s leading research destination.
To achieve that, TETFund plans to expand research partnerships, upgrade laboratory infrastructure and support Nigerian scholars to compete for global research grants.
With the 2025 cycle closed, attention is shifting to the next round. TETFund has called on researchers across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to prepare proposals for the 2026 National Research Fund Grant Cycle, promising a transparent and merit-based selection process.
For the 174 successful teams, the real work starts now. Success won’t be judged by the ₦7.5 billion released, but by whether the funded projects produce innovations that transform food production, improve healthcare delivery, increase energy access, strengthen national security and create the industries that will power Nigeria’s future economy, Echono said.
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