The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has identified industry-linked research in tertiary institutions as key to national development.
Mamman made this known in Abuja on Monday while receiving briefings from Chief Executives of Parastatals and Agencies under the supervision of the ministry.
According to him, “the Federal Government is determined to support research linked to industry so as to synchronise research and the industrial sector in order to accelerate national development.”
The minister called on members of the academic community to see research beyond promotion and career advancement, adding that the overall national development must take priority over any other considerations.
He also promised to do everything humanly possible to ensure that industry-based researches are encouraged.
On his part, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, expressed government’s determination to support the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in its efforts at promoting industry-based research.
He added that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would do everything possible to clear any obstacle on the way of research funding.
Earlier in his briefing, the Executive Secretary of TETFUND, Sonny Echono, explained that the fund had in the last two years sponsored over 65,000 staff members in tertiary institutions to national and international conferences, workshops and training programmes.
While briefing on critical investments being made by the Fund on high impact projects, disaster, recovery and research grants, Echono said that investment in research in universities led to the production and public presentations of over 60 books in 2022
He added that more books would be published at designated publishing houses across the six geopolitical zones in the coming years.
