The Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State, has secured two research grants totalling ₦53m from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to support studies on insecurity and mosquito control in Nigeria.
The Punch reported that the university disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Acting Director of Public Affairs, Abdullahi Yahaya, in Dutse.
According to the statement, the grants were awarded under the TETFund National Research Fund to finance projects addressing major security and public health challenges facing the country.
“One project focuses on insecurity, while the other targets public health by controlling mosquitoes,” Yahaya stated.
The research on insecurity will be led by Professor Ado Jangargari under a project titled, “Tech for Peace: Engaging Northern Pastoralists in Non-Agricultural Livelihoods to Counter Banditry and Kidnapping.”
The project received ₦25m and is expected to explore alternative livelihoods for pastoralists as part of efforts to address banditry and kidnapping in Northern Nigeria.
The second project, led by Professor Joshua Balogun, focuses on mosquito control and received ₦28m.
Yahaya said the research is titled “Development of Indoor Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Machine (iCor-SeMa) for Diversionary Control of Mosquitoes in Nigeria.”
Both projects are expected to run for 24 months, with the researchers required to deliver results that can have practical benefits for communities.
“The researchers have two years to deliver results that can make real impact in our communities,” he said.
The Acting Director said the Vice-Chancellor of FUD, Professor Ahmad Gumel, congratulated the two researchers and urged them to ensure that the projects were executed within the approved timeframe.
“Prof. Gumel charged them to ensure timely execution and quality delivery of the research,” Yahaya stated.
The Vice-Chancellor also expressed optimism that the university would attract more research grants, noting that academic staff had been sensitised on opportunities to access the NRF and other grants locally and internationally.
The statement added that “the university management is committed to supporting research that addresses national problems.”
Yahaya further said the university would closely monitor the projects to ensure that they met TETFund’s objectives.
“We expect outcomes that will benefit not only Jigawa but the entire country.”
