LASU Don, Babalola,17 Other Nigerian Academics Get $250,000 Research Grants To Develop Prototypes Into Commercially Viable Products
A senior lecturer in the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science of Lagos State University, Dr. Olusegun Oluwaseun Babalola, has emerged as one of the eighteen (academics from tertiary institutions in Nigeria to receive a grant of $250,000 from the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) to develop four prototype projects into commercially viable products. The academics went through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)’s Research for Impact Initiative (R4I) to win the grants. TETFund Research for Impact Initiative (R41) has become a pivotal force in advancing Nigerian research to the global stage.
After the successful implementation of R41 under the auspices of TETFUND, four teams were shortlisted to advance their developed ideas through a collaborative research grant established under the Science Granting Councils (SGCs) with Innov8 Technology Hub in Abuja as the technical partner. This collaboration underscores TETFund’s commitment to nurturing homegrown talent and fostering a robust research ecosystem in Nigeria. The grant originated from the SGCI, a multi-funder initiative aimed at strengthening the capacities of 17 Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in sub-Saharan Africa.
It would be recalled that TETFund is one of 17 members of the Sub-Saharan Africa Science Funding Councils Initiative (SGCI) which seeks to strengthen Science Financing Councils in supporting research and evidence-based policies that contribute to the socioeconomic development of countries.
At the project inauguration and initial bootcamp of SGCI funding in Abuja on Monday, the director of research and development, TETFund said, though Nigeria joined the SGCI in 2020—five years after the program’s inception—the impact of this collaboration is poised to be transformative. According to Bakare, the $250,000 grant will support four Nigerian research teams, each working on projects with the potential to drive significant change.
“This is a grant that is provided to the participating countries and Nigeria joined the SGCI in 2020. So, we actually joined late, the programme started in 2015 and if we had joined earlier, we would have gotten different grants by now but it’s better late than never
“We joined in 2020, we got these grants of shout 250,000 US dollars for four participating groups. The essence is to help them transform their research findings into commercializable goods and services in this country. As you have seen, some are working on processing of garri, others are working on renewable energy and so and so forth.
“So, four teams are going to use this money that would help to develop their research into prototypes and pitch them with industries so that there will be take off of the product coming out from the research”, Bakare note.
Eighteen lecturers were distributed into four groups and hosted at Innov8, an innovation hub in Abuja to come out with four prototypes: Development of Technology to Mitigate the Effect of Drought in Desert Areas of Northern Nigeria, Development of Automated Garri Frying Technology (Jollyfryer), Creation of Biosensor Device for Water Purification Using Solar Energy, AirVolt: An Affordable Access to Electricity with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines.
Dr Babalola’s research team working on Water Purification System with Biosensor using Solar Energy is made up of Prof Nwaugo Victor (Abia State University), Prof. Chiaghanam Osita (Rivers State University), Dr Usman Wasiri (Bauchi State University), and Dr Babalola himself. The group, like others, received a grant of $50,000 to execute the research proposal.
Team two; “Development of technology to mitigate the effect of drought in desert areas of northern Nigeria has Dr. Hussaini Mohammed Majiya of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, Niger state, Dr. Masud Sadiq Eneji of Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Prof. Sani Mohammed Yahaya of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil Kano state and Dr. Again Leonard Chimnobi of Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo state.
Team three with a project titled; “Development of automated garri frying technology (Jollyfryer),” has Prof. Mohammed Nasirudeem Suleiman of Federal University Lokoja, Dr. Mask Felix Bitrus, Plateau state university, Books, Dr. Ibrahim Gana Geidam, Yobe state University, Damaturu, Engineer Dr. Joseph Onah Ukpata, University of Cross River state, Calabar and Dr. Cecilia Oluwamodupe of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupo, Ondo state.
Team four under the title, “Sir volt:An affordable access to electricity with vertical axis wind turbines has Dr. Abdullahi Bala Kunya, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. Abdulsalami Ismaila Galadims, ABU, Dr. Ramatu Idris Sha’aba, ABU, Dr. James Enam Samson, ABU and Dr. Rashidatu Abdulazeez, ABU.
Dr Babalola, who had won several other grants, appreciated the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM for nominating him for the TETFUND Scientific and Innovative Research Workshop in 2023. The Workshop, he said, gave him the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from other institutions to write the proposal that birthed the grant. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olatunji-Bello has congratulated him on the feat and for making LASU proud.
