Modibbo Adama University Secures ₦350 Million TETFund Mega Research Grant to Advance Nigeria's Gas Expansion Programme

Modibbo Adama University (M.A.U.), Yola, has recorded another significant research milestone with the award of a Three Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (₦350,000,000) TETFund Mega Research Grant, reinforcing the institution's growing reputation for cutting-edge research and innovation.

The grant, approved by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), was awarded in line with the Fund's mandate to promote and support impactful research that addresses Nigeria's developmental priorities.

Under the intervention, M.A.U. will serve as the Cluster Lead Institution for the mega research project titled: "Reserve Estimation and High-Resolution Characterization of Coalbed Methane (CBM) Resources in Okpokwu and Ogbadibo Local Government Area Coalfields of Benue State for Strategic Integration into Nigeria's Gas Expansion Programme."

The intervention, valued at ₦350,000,000, represents 100 percent of the total approved research cost and is expected to generate vital scientific data that will support Nigeria's drive to expand its gas resources, enhance energy security, and promote sustainable economic development.

The research will be led by the Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Yunis Valdon Boga of the Department of Geology M.A.U, Yola, alongside the Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Erdoo Mongol of the Benue Geo-Mining Company Limited, and a multidisciplinary team of researchers drawn from relevant fields of expertise, from the North Eastern University, Gombe, Benue State Council on Climate Change, Reverend Father Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi and Akawe Torkula Polytechnic, Makurdi. 

The project, will focus on assessing the coalbed methane reserves in the Okpokwu and Ogbadibo coalfields of Benue State using advanced, high-resolution characterization techniques. 

Findings from the research are expected to provide valuable insights for the strategic development and integration of coalbed methane into Nigeria's gas expansion programme.

The award further underscores Modibbo Adama University's commitment to high-impact research, innovation, and national development while strengthening its position as one of Nigeria's leading research-driven universities.

The university management under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Umar, has described the grant as a major achievement that reflects the confidence reposed in the institution's researchers and its capacity to execute nationally significant research projects capable of addressing critical energy and economic challenges.