The Federal Government has expressed concern over the quality of most academic publications churned from the nation’s tertiary institutions.
This is even as it disclosed that it has spent over N24billion to award 912 research grants to researchers from public tertiary institutions since the inception of the National Research Fund intervention in 2011.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while inaugurating the reconstituted TETFund National Research Fund (NRF) Screening and Monitoring Committee and the Technical Advisory Group.
He decried the country’s over dependence on books published outside the country with the attendant consequences on foreign exchange. He was, however, upbeat that nurturing culture of quality authorship and production of indigenous books will safeguard national pride and reduce demand for foreign textbooks.
Mamman applauded President Bola Tinubu for graciously approving the sum of N5 billion for NRF and N8 billion for provision of Central Multipurpose Laboratories in some universities across the country under the Fund’s 2024 budget.
This, he noted, is a strong demonstration of Mr President’s commitment to the promotion of research activities in our tertiary institutions to support national development. “TETFund has continued to provide sponsorship for Institution-Based Research to facilitate revival of quality research among lecturers in Tertiary Institutions and assist them to build capacity for higher research.”
To strengthen this intervention and deepen its impact, I have approved an upward review of the funding ceiling per IBR project from N2Million to N5Million for Science-Based Research and N4Million for Humanities and Social Science Research in line with current realities.
“In response to this challenge, TETFund initiated the Higher Education Book Development Project for intervention in the three key areas of publication of academic books and the conversion of high-quality theses into books; support for Professional Association Journals; and establishment as well as sustainability of Academic Publishing Centres (APCs). The TAG is supporting the Fund for effective implementation of the intervention,” Mamman said.
The 55-member reconstituted TETFund National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee has Prof. Hayward Mafuyai as Chairman, while the 48-member reconstituted Technical Advisory Group is superintended by Prof. Albert Abegunde.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, said the two panels were set up to drive the process of implementing the National Research Fund and facilitate effective implementation of the Higher Education Book Development Fund, respectively.
He expressed optimism that the committees “will contribute immensely to improving the standing of our Public Higher Educational Institutions and the realization of the goals off such institutions”.
