News
FG authorizes N8.5bn for medical research and others
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N8.5 billion naira for the conduct of ground-breaking research in medicine and other areas in 2021, under the National Research Fund, a scheme funded by the Tertiary Education Trust.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof Suleiman Bogoro, disclosed this on Wednesday, at a three-day workshop for Directors of Research and Development of public universities in Nigeria, held at the Central Bank of Nigeria Training Institute, Maitama, Abuja.
Bogoro said, “With your support, I made a case to the board of trustees to increase the NRF research grants. Initially, we had seed money of N3b, it got exhausted and N1b was added between 2016 and 2019.
“But when I came, I decided to revolutionize it and I said it is not a question of seed money, let it be annual funding. And that is why I made a case for N5b in 2019 alone. In 2020, we raised it to N7.5bn.
“This year, Mr. President has approved another N7.5b but guess what? with additional N1b that we intend to do ground-breaking research around medicine even in respect of the Covid-19 challenge.”
The TETFund boss said the agency intended to fund the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research to resuscitate their vaccine production.
He added that he has scheduled a meeting with the Director-General of NIMR, Prof Babatunde Salako, to be joined by brilliant professors of medicine from some universities across the country to achieve specific research objectives.
Bogoro, however, decried the failure of research institutes to establish a good relationship with universities to promote research and development, state that universities are also guilty of disregarding them.
He stressed the need for collaboration between the universities and research institutes.
While urging participants at the workshop to take the initiative of looking at why kidnapping has become so lucrative, the TETFund boss lamented that young engineers and technology experts were rather deploying their expertise to aid the growing wave of abductions across the country.
He challenged university professors not to only parade themselves with titles but to engage in problem-solving research that will change things for the good of the nation.
Earlier, TETfund Director of Research and Development, Dr. Salisu Bakare, noted that universities are by nature problem-solvers, adding that when universities are not solving problems of the society, the question remains whether they are achieving their mandate.
The Kano State Government has inaugurated a 14-member committee tasked with reviewing existing education policies in the state.
Inaugurating the committee on Thursday in Kano, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Ali Makoda, said that the committee was constituted by the Kano State Executive Council to assess the state’s education policies.
“This committee was originally scheduled to be inaugurated by the governor, but due to prior engagements, he has delegated the responsibility to me so that we can begin our work immediately,” Makoda stated.
The Commissioner outlined the committee’s terms of reference, which include reviewing the four existing education policies in the state to assess whether they align with the cultural and religious beliefs of the people.
“Evaluating the feasibility of implementing the policies, and making recommendations to strengthen the state’s education system.”
He noted that the four policies to be reviewed include the Kano State Girls’ Education Policy, Kano State Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Policy, Kano State Non-State School Policy, and Kano State Teacher Development Policy.
Makoda announced that the committee has been given three weeks to submit its report, and urged the members to leverage their expertise to produce recommendations that would enhance the state’s education sector.
In his response, the committee chairman, Malam Abdullahi Dutse, assured the commissioner of the committee’s commitment to work collaboratively to meet the expectations placed on them.
“Considering the diverse expertise of the committee members, I believe the government has selected individuals with the right skills to address the challenges facing education in the state. We will work diligently to provide the necessary report,” he said.
The committee’s members include Malam Abdullahi Dutse (Chairman), Prof Abdallah Uba -Adamu, Habibu Dan Almajiri, Alhaji Danlami Garba, Kano State Commissioner for Women, Children, and Disabled Affairs Hajiya Amina Abdullahi, and Isa Ahmad.
Other members are Prof Tijjani Naniya, Malam Kabiru Hanga, Munzali Mustapha, Prof Auwal Halliru Arzai, and Dr Bashir Aliyu -Umar.
The remaining include the representatives of the Emirate Council and Civil Society Organizations, and Ibrahim Bawa, Director of Archives and Publications, who will serve as Secretary of the committee.
The U.S. Deputy-Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, has extolled Nigeria’s partnership in the successful repatriation of funds linked to forfeited luxury real estate and Galactica Star Superyacht. (more…)
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated six Nigerians named by President Joe Biden among the 400 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in the United States.
This recognition, established by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, is the highest honour bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers.
This year’s awardees, announced by Biden on Jan. 14, are employed or funded by 14 participating United States government agencies, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
The Nigerian honourees include Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa; and Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Yale School of Public Health, Yale University.
Others are: Oluwatomi Akindele, Postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology at Northeastern University;
The rest are: Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University; and Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive vice Chair of the Case School of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Case Western Reserve University.
Tinubu commended the awardees for their achievements in science, technology and engineering.
He noted that recognising the talents of the awardees underscored Nigerians’ vast potential to excel both at home and on the global stage.
Tinubu looked forward to the honourees sharing their multidisciplinary expertise to benefit Nigeria’s development efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda. (more…)
Kano inaugurates 14-member committee to review education policies
U.S commends Nigeria over Galactica funds repatriation efforts
Tinubu congratulates Nigerian scientists, engineers on making Biden’s honour list
Facebook, Instagram Temporarily Allow Posts on Ukraine War Calling for Violence Against Invading Russians or Putin’s Death
Nigeria, Other West African Countries Facing Worst Food Crisis in 10 Years, Aid Groups Say
New York Consulate installs machines for 10-year passport
-
Business3 years ago
Facebook, Instagram Temporarily Allow Posts on Ukraine War Calling for Violence Against Invading Russians or Putin’s Death
-
Headlines3 years ago
Nigeria, Other West African Countries Facing Worst Food Crisis in 10 Years, Aid Groups Say
-
Foreign3 years ago
New York Consulate installs machines for 10-year passport
-
Technology4 months agoZero Trust Architecture in a Remote World: Securing the New Normal
-
Entertainment2 years agoPhyna emerges winner of Big Brother Naija Season 7
-
Business8 months agoNigeria Customs modernisation project to check extortion of traders
-
Business10 months agoWe generated N30.2 bn revenue in three months – Kano NCS Comptroller
-
Headlines7 months agoPhilippines’ Vice President Sara Duterte resigns from Cabinet
