The Tertiary Education Trust (TETFUND) will be tapping into the various capacities available across the spectrum of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector of Nigeria in its attempt at establishing a national research and development foundation for driving and advancing the industry.

This objective was made known when the Coordinator and Team Leader of the TETFUND Research and Development Standing-Committee on ICT-Digital Economy Thematic Group, Professor Bashir Galadima, led other members of the group on a courtesy call to the Management of Covenant University.

According to Professor Galadima, the committee had the mandate to work assiduously towards the establishment of a national research foundation to spur activities in the ICT sector of the business space and encourage more players in the digital space.

He averred that the standing-committee was the most important of the arrays of standing-committees under the TETFUND initiative, taking into consideration the crucial role of ICT in driving other sectors of the nation's economy. "ICT supports and enables all other sectors; education, healthcare, manufacturing, commerce, etc., and as such the importance of setting up a robust framework that will help the standing-committee meet its objectives," he added.

Professor Galadima highlighted the roles research institutions, industries and government across all levels needed to play to make the assignment a success. "We are here at Covenant University as a representative of the academia, taking into cognizance the position that this University occupy in the research ecosystem of the Nigerian education landscape," he enthused.

He said the team was at Covenant University to learn from the University's research experiences and see how in just 18 years, the University had been able to concretize her research plan. He added that the nation, through the work of the sub-committee, could adopt its findings as a model for building the research and development foundation.

The Head, Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Professor Ambrose Azeta, welcomed the idea of a national research foundation for the promotion of ICT and digital economy, noting that the industry had longed for such. He said the establishment of the foundation would encourage software engineers and local initiatives through the provision of national infrastructure and policy framework to support innovation.

"This will go a long way in answering the mindboggling questions of why the nation's local software developers are leaving the country," he stated.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abiodun H. Adebayo said Covenant, being an ICT-driven University, was proud to be associated with the assignment of the standing-committee while hoping that the project would become the platform for a rebirth in the development of Nigeria.

Professor Adebayo noted that with the advent of COVID-19 across the world, the means of doing business had been completely altered. He said that as the digital economy could never be shut down, it had become imperative for the nation's business environment to evolve and grow into it. He urged governments in the country to make ICT resources available to citizens at a basic level, and above all be committed to promoting the adoption of the virtual space to drive governance and business.

The meeting had in attendance, the Registrar, Covenant University, Dr Oluwasegun Omidiora; Dean, College of Science and Technology, Professor Temidayo Omotosho; Dean, College of Engineering, Professor David Omole; Director, Financial Services, Pastor Babatunde Onatola; Director, Centre for Systems and Information Services, Engr. Bayo Ajala; and Director, Covenant University Centre for Research Innovation and Discovery, Professor Emeka Iweala.

http://m.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/News/TETFUND-ICT-Digital-Economy-Thematic-Group-Understudies-Covenant-University-Research-Model#.X7_JRVMo9Pw

Lalastiscala

Whatever national research foundation to be set up. I hope it includes allowing private varsities or private research centers access post graduate research grant also.

The last I checked, tetfund had N5B in unused funds, which public varsity lecturers refused to access.

Research grant should not be allocated based on quota system or distribution formula. No university should be entitled to it irregardless of what ASUU demands. The funds must be allocated to principal investigator working on top rate local solutions with credentials from a Nigerian tertiary facility.

If the plan is to do the normal "ABU take your own, OAU take that one" then you might as well jettison the idea as I promise you it would be a waste of resources.

He should understudy the financial management aspect very well. Therein lies the bulk of what others may be missing.

Ok