EKSU Hits Major Research Milestone as Two Professors Win ₦72.4m TETFund NRF Grants

Ekiti State University has recorded a major research milestone with two distinguished professors securing a total of ₦72.4 million under the 2026 Tertiary Education Trust Fund National Research Fund intervention.

This marks the first time EKSU has produced two successful grant recipients in a single NRF cycle, and extends the university’s winning streak to three consecutive cycles following successes in 2023 and 2024/2025.

Prof. Idowu Eunice Opeyemi, Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences – ₦44.8 million under Cross-Cutting Cluster NRF/CC/BEC/0054 for research on “Investigation and Bioremediation of Microplastics in Fish, Water and Sediments from Reservoirs across the Six Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria.”

Prof. Christopher Rotimi Falegan, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences ₦27.6 million under Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation Cluster NRF/SETI/HSW/00148 for _“Development and Evaluation of Seaweed-Derived Polysaccharide Gels for Wound Healing and Skin Repair Applications.”

The grants are part of the Federal Government’s ₦7.5 billion TETFund NRF intervention approved for 174 research projects across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. Selected projects focus on national priorities including renewable energy, environmental sustainability, waste management, food preservation, and healthcare innovation.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Joseph Babatola Ayodele described the twin awards as proof of EKSU’s growing reputation for research excellence and innovation. He congratulated the recipients and reaffirmed management’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for high-quality research and academic excellence.