TETFund receives N10bn for 2026 National Research Fund

The Nigerian Federal Government has approved N10 billion for the 2026 cycle of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF). This represents a 64.2 per cent increase from the N6.09 billion allocated to 174 projects during the 2025 programme.

Executive Secretary Sonny Echono announced that the funding will support research across 30 priority thematic areas. These are categorized into Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation, and various cross-cutting areas, including the blue economy and clean energy.

Lecturers in public tertiary institutions are eligible to apply. The process requires Principal Investigators to submit concept notes via an online portal. Only those whose notes are deemed fundable will be invited to submit full research proposals. The application portal is scheduled to open on August 31, 2026, and will close on October 15, 2026, with officials noting that no extensions will be granted.