COVID-19: Buhari Directs TETFund To Setup Medical Research Centres In 6 Geo-Political Zones
President Muhammadu Buhari has given immediate approval for the funding of six Medical Simulation, Research and Training Facilities in six Colleges of Medicine through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
The facilities will set up Molecular Science Laboratories with capacity for testing and diagnostics of Covid-19, Lassa Fever, and related viral diseases.
HumAngle reports that the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has directed the Executive-Secretary (ES) of Tetfund, Prof. Suleiman Bagoro, to select a university in each of the six geo-political zones, where the projects would be executed.
Similarly, TETFund has been mandated to establish 12 Medical Centers of Excellence to be hosted by first, second and third generation universities.
These Centers of Excellence, according to the directive, should be distributed in such a way that two must be cited in each geo-political zone.
According to Mrs. Ngoba Priye Briggs, Director, Public Affairs andĀ her counterpart, Buhari Mikailu, Director, Physical Infrastructure Development at Tetfund, additional centers of excellence would be cited in state Universities, Polytechnics,and Colleges of Education in subsequent years.
āThe focus areas of the Centers of Excellence, in line with contemporary practice and technologies,are mainly in science-based disciplines,ā they said.Ā
Meanwhile, the Minister has emphasized that āongoing research work in response to COVID-19, and similar diseases through the TETFund National Research Fund (NRF), the Research Community of the Federal Ministry of Education should undertake any other sundry contributions in support of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) in responding to the threat of Covid-19 inĀ Nigeria.ā
He commended the initiatives of TETFund in providing a special research grant window towards treatment or vaccine against COVID-19.Ā
Adamu also assured the Fund that the Federal government will continue to support relevant research aimed at addressing national challenges and needs.
HumAngle gathered that the presidential approval was initiated through the recommendation of TETFund Board of Trustees (BOT) and endorsement of the Minister.Ā
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