By Adedapo Adesanya
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment and funding of 12 Centres of Excellence in research in the country.
The Centres of Excellence are World Bank-sponsored projects that were designed to empower universities in Africa to engage in meaningful research that would herald socioeconomic transformation in Africa and beyond.
A statement posted by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) on Twitter on Tuesday indicated that two research centres would be located in each of the six geopolitical zones.
Though the statement did not provide operational details of the centres, it confirmed that the management of TETFund will provide such operational details in due course.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment and funding of 12 Centers of Excellence in Research (two per geopolitical zone) by @TETFundNg, in Federal Universities,” the tweet read.
According to the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital and New Media, Mr Tolu Ogunlesi, the President also approved another funding for TETFund to build six medical simulation, research, and training facilities in colleges of medicine.
One will be situated in each geopolitical zones in the country and will include laboratories for testing for the coronavirus, lassa fever, and other diseases.
“President @MBuhari has also approved the funding by @TETFundNg of 6 Medical Simulation, Research and Training Facilities in Colleges of Medicine (one per geopolitical zone). The Facilities will include Molecular Laboratories for testing of Covid-19, Lassa Fever & other diseases,” he wrote via his official Twitter.