UNIVERSAL NOT UNISALA...

UNIVERSAL NOT UNISALA – TETFUND CAN DO BETTER!

25 years gone, TETFUND still says researchers from Nigerian private universities are not good enough as Principal Investigators.

I am deeply saddened that Nigeria’s foremost educational support agency still basks in discriminatory practices fuelled by primitive and primordial sentiments.

Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) says that to spearhead (as the Principal Investigator) research under the National Research Fund (NRF), you must be employed in a public tertiary institution. How fair is this? To rationalise their decision, they claim ‘it is the Law’. Funnily, ASUU supports this.

Globally, research grants have restrictions, constraints and confines, but an exclusionary requirement based on type of employment is not only derogatory, exclusive, undermining, but also bereft of resourceful thinking that we need for impactful scholarship.

How can a global scholar be excluded from leading a research team because he or she is not a government employee? Are there conditions that a researcher from a private institution cannot meet that we are unaware of? One unintended consequence of this action is the fuelling of patronage. Patronage, because a scholar from a private institution who desires to benefit from the NRF, has to “solicit” the ‘help’ of sometimes ‘unwilling employees’ from a government institution. This practically defeats the purpose of collaboration, which is to optimise opportunities and strengthen capacities.

The World University Rankings 2025 which was recently released featured some Nigerian private universities with Covenant University taking the lead in Nigeria. So I wonder when TETFUND will change its harmful exclusionary practice. Research endeavours in Nigeria will continue to suffer significant drawbacks if vanguards and sponsors hold onto exclusionary provisions of the Law. After more than twenty-five (25) years of private university education in Nigeria, raising champions, winning globally recognised grants, recognitions, awards, and even far exceeding some public universities in global rankings, TETFUND still believes that researchers from private institutions are not good enough as Principal Investigators. It is time for a paradigm shift.

I recall when in 2019, I was unpleasantly shocked that my senior colleagues (Associate Professors and Professors) were discounted by TETFUND’s provisions. Collaborations are good, even very good, but we cannot undermine people and expect them to give their best.

Well, some may argue, agree, and continue to permit this malaise, even find a way around it, but truth must be told – research is universal, not unisala (serving alternative lists alone). And it is a height of unacceptable discrimination to prejudice researchers based on their institutional affiliations. This is no different from racial, gender, or religious discrimination. No difference whatsoever! 1. They are Nigerians. 2. They have capacity to lead research teams. 3. There is evidence of outstanding work. 4. They are willing to abide by research methodologies and ethical considerations and stipulations. Even the National Universities Commission (NUC) during resource verification and accreditation exercises have found that the Laboratories of some privately owned institutions are far better than the better by far (no pun intended).

I ask again, when will the enabling Law be amended to give free and full access to researchers irrespective of their institutional affiliations?

Crumbs, yes crumbs belong to you, and you belong to crumbs, says TETFUND

It is easier and safer to say that private institutions should not expect any form of research funding support from the Government. It makes some sense, albeit not entirely. But what does not make sense is the insistence that a researcher must be an employee of a government institution to access taxpayer funded research grant that benefits all. No sense at all if this continues.

A 2020 TETFUND publication posits: “However, in line with the approval of Board of Trustees (BOT) of TETFund, additional members of the research team can be drawn from researchers in private tertiary institutions, research institutes, Centres of Excellence and the industry. This is consistent with the global best practice of involving non-governmental organizations and other non-state actors in research projects that are to address national needs.”

I wonder the global index that is referenced here. Global best practice is inclusive, not exclusive.

Our Legislators to the rescue?

I once read about moves by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities to sponsor or support a move to abolish this unwholesome practice, but I do not know where it is currently headed. It therefore appears that our Lawmakers can come to the rescue.

Dear Lawmaker, are you able to see reason here? Why should a researcher be disenfranchised, because they are not employed by a government institution? Is this in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? So, why are they treated as second-class researchers in the research environment? Or more specifically, why does TETFUND feel like they are undeserving of research leadership roles, because they are employed by private institutions – institutions that are recognised and licensed by the same government?

I am looking forward to a 2025 that will see this change effected. Research is indeed universal.