10 students of the University of Abuja set to receive research grants worth of N3,772,000 naira to pursue researches in their fields.
This presentation was made during the University of Abuja’s third undergraduate research Day. The award is managed by UniAbuja’s Centre for Undergraduate Research.
The Director of Centre Dr. Taibat Atoyebi, made the announcement during the Day celebration. This year’s theme is “Promoting National Development through Research”. The Director explained that the research covers the thematic areas of the Centre including; economic prosperity, food security, educational opportunity, quality health, climate change, environmental protection and innovative solutions to societal issues.
“While ten research proposals scale through and are being presented today, some were returned for corrections and upgrades, to be considered in the buildup for the next round.
However, we are currently receiving applications and proposals from interested groups of students for the next batch of grant” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, asserted that the idea was meant to promote and develop the youth for the future of Nigeria.
Na’Allah, who was represented by the Chairman of the University of Abuja Research Council, Prof. Abubakar Yusuf, commended the initiative and described it as an extraordinary effort.
“The programme is significant because research and development are critical to national development and what you are seeing today are presentations from students who were mentored by their lecturers.”
He asserted that the idea was to cultivate the interest of students in research and development because, any university that does not have the component of research and development will not be highly valued, he explained.
“So when I came in 2019, I saw the need to strengthen the research components of the university. I wanted the institution to be research intensive and how to do that was to look at the senior level of research which involves professors and also the students,” Na’Allah said.
The guest speaker and Dean School of Post Graduate Meanwhile, the Studies Professor Ukertor Moti, speaking on the usefulness of research said it could advance the knowledge base of students and academic practice.
He told the students that there was a wider perspective to research impact that could give rise to unprecedented development to the students, nation and beyond academics.
