FUL Researcher Secures N30 Million TETFund Grant for AI Ethics Research

The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) has recorded another major research achievement following the award of a N30 million National Research Fund (NRF) grant by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to one of its academics, Professor Ezra Shiloba Gbaje.

The grant was awarded under the 2025 TETFund National Research Fund Intervention to support a research project titled, "Developing Critical Thinking Competencies as a Framework for Responsible and Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Nigerian Academic Research."

Presenting the award and release letters, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, described the grant as a significant boost to the university's expanding profile in research, innovation and emerging technologies.

Professor Ibileye said the achievement aligns with the institution's strategic vision of strengthening its position as a leading centre for knowledge production and research in emerging fields. He commended Professor Gbaje for securing the competitive grant and expressed confidence that the project would make valuable contributions to national discussions on the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence in higher education and academic research.

The Vice-Chancellor also noted that the success reflects the quality of the university's academic staff and reaffirmed the institution's commitment to supporting research capable of addressing contemporary societal and developmental challenges.

Speaking on the project, Professor Gbaje explained that the research aims to develop a practical framework that will promote the responsible, ethical and critical use of Artificial Intelligence tools in academic research across Nigeria.

According to him, the project was conceived in response to the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence in knowledge creation and the need to ensure that its adoption does not compromise critical thinking, research integrity or academic standards.

He further disclosed that after submitting the project's concept note and full proposal, the research team was invited by TETFund to Abuja for a proposal defence and interview before the project was eventually approved for funding.

Professor Gbaje added that the grant would support the successful implementation of the research project, which is expected to contribute to the development of ethical guidelines and best practices for the use of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria's academic and research ecosystem.