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…demands expanded funding, strict accountability in execution
The Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has lauded the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)’s release of 174 research grants totalling N7.5 billion under the 2025 National Research Fund grant cycle.
This is contained in a Sunday statement signed by President of NANS Senate, Ibeabuchi Onyia.
Onyia said the NANS Senate recognised the “bold investment” as a clear signal that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to repositioning Nigerian tertiary institutions as engines of national development.
He said, “Spanning critical thematic areas, from agriculture and food security, to clean energy, health, blue economy, defence technology, and gender equity, this grant cycle speaks directly to the challenges Nigerian students, scholars and communities face daily.”
He explained that the national student body was equally encouraged that the selection process was rigorous and multi-staged, encompassing concept note review, full proposal evaluation, and oral defence presentations.
According to him, this is the standard expected of public fund administration.
The statement reads, “We also salute the inclusion of newly established federal universities, state institutions, polytechnics and colleges of education, a welcome departure from the historic concentration of resources in legacy institutions.
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“We note with particular pride that the University of Jos, in a region long plagued by insecurity and neglect, secured six grants in this cycle, a testament to the resilience of researchers in the North Central.”
Commending Tinubu, the NANS Senate President said, “This is the kind of governance that builds nations.”
He also commended TETFund management for building accountability structures, including milestone-based disbursements and performance monitoring, into the grant framework.
Onyia said the applause must not become amnesia, stating that NANS Senate expected four conditions to be met, including scaling up of research funding, ensuring iron-clad accountability in execution, protection of research environments, and acceleration of the 2026 NRF cycle.
Onyia explained that the NANS Senate remains committed to holding government accountable to students across all 36 states and the FCT.
“Nigeria’s best days are being written in our laboratories and research halls- investments like this are the ink,” he stressed.
