The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, says it has spent over N23 billion to fund 912 research projects across the country.

TETFund’s Assistant Director, Research and Development, R&D, Dr. Hadiza Ismail, revealed this at a validation workshop on “Strengthening Research and Innovation Funding Agencies in West Africa,” in Abuja on Monday, March 25.

Ismail said the agency was fully committed to the establishment of a science granting council in Nigeria.

She said: “So far, the Fund has spent over N23 billion on about 912 research projects that have been sponsored.

“But that also gives us an insight into the need for this workshop and what we are actually talking about. Despite the fact that we have given grants to over 900 projects, we want to see how we can link these research projects to industry and get viable outcomes at the end of the day to help Nigeria move forward.

On his part, Executive Director, African Technology Policy Studies, ATPS, Network, Professor Nicholas Ozor, said the workshop was aimed at giving momentum to a project designed to strengthen national research councils in six West African countries.

He said: “Nigeria specifically has an issue currently because they do not yet have a well-recognized national research and innovation funding agency.”