More than 90percent Of Nigerian varsity lecturers now Ph.D. holders – TETFund
As a result of the focus on academic staff training and development by the Fund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro, the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund TETFund), says more than 90 percent of lecturers in Nigerian universities are now doctorate degree holders.
Bogoro, speaking in Abuja while receiving a contingent of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPS), Kuru, Senior Executive Course 43, 2021, at the TETFund Headquarters, Abuja, hinted that it’s a tremendous improvement over nine years ago when it was recorded that only 40 percent of university lecturers in the country had PhDs, and by 2015, over 60 percent had acquired PhDs.
On National Research Fund, he disclosed that the Fund’s approvals for research grants would be doubled in 2021, from over 128 approvals made in 2020, adding that the approvals would be announced as soon the Board of Trustees gives its nod.
According to him, qualified institutions will draw a maximum of N50 million research grants from the N7.5 billion National Research Fund (NRF).
The TETFund boss said in the 2021 budget, which is awaiting approval, the agency will fund the establishment of more molecular labs and research on gene sequencing and phytogenic medicine, as well as vaccine research and production, as a key area of unraveling the lethal COVID-19 pandemic.
He said under the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari, the fund provided research intervention between N250 to N300 million, to set up, at least, a quarter of the molecular labs established in the country.
He also disclosed that funds were made available to some medical research institutes and colleges for the purpose of research.
He commended Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi for its ingenuity in formulating a system of tracking cattle that have been rustled; as well as Redeemers University for its advanced research on gene sequencing; and Covenant University for being ranked among the best universities in the world.