Ekiti State University, EKSU, Ado-Ekiti, has recorded a research milestone as two of its scholars secured a combined ₦72.4 million under the 2026 Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, National Research Fund, NRF, Intervention.
The awards mark the first time EKSU will have two successful grant recipients in a single NRF cycle. It is also the institution’s third consecutive win, following successful bids in the 2023 and 2024/2025 cycles.
Professor Idowu Eunice Opeyemi of the Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, secured ₦44.8 million under the Cross-Cutting Cluster, NRF/CC/BEC/0054. Her research is titled: “Investigation and Bioremediation of Microplastics in Fish, Water and Sediments from Reservoirs across the Six Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria.”
Professor Christopher Rotimi Falegan of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, was awarded ₦27.6 million under the Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation, SETI, Cluster, NRF/SETI/HSW/00148. His project is titled: “Development and Evaluation of Seaweed-Derived Polysaccharide Gels for Wound Healing and Skin Repair Applications.”
The grants form part of the Federal Government’s ₦7.5 billion TETFund National Research Fund intervention approved to support 174 research projects in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.
Selected projects focus on national priority areas including renewable energy, environmental sustainability, waste management, food preservation and healthcare innovation.
The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele, described the twin awards as a testament to the university’s growing reputation for research excellence and innovation.
Professor Ayodele congratulated the recipients and the entire university community, noting that the achievement reflects EKSU’s commitment to producing impactful research that addresses national and global challenges.
He reaffirmed the university’s resolve to continue creating an enabling environment for high-quality research, innovation and academic excellence.
