By Rosemary Ogbonnaya
University of Abuja has presented medals to 10 researchers and 20 authors from the University for winning grants of over 1.1 billion naira and publishing on first class journals across the world.
At the presentation of the medals to the researchers and authors at the University’s main campus in Abuja, the Vice Chancellor ProfessorAbdul-Rasheed Na’Allah said the move would encourage other scholars of the institution to seek and win more scholarly grants across the world.
He explained that the researchers were able to attract the funds through their various works which is aimed at proffering solutions to societal challenges.
‘’We are so excited this year 2021 with all our researchers getting grants from all over the world, doing research in different areas,resolving problems for Nigeria, for humanity, bringing new products, working with industries and I am so happy that this 1.1 billion naira was realised by the University of Abuja researchers and most of the money came from Europe.
“What we have done is to give them medals, to tell them University of Abuja is proud of them, Nigeria, the world and indeed humanity is proud of them because their research is in various areas such as hypertension,salt consumption, cultural matters, and different areas of human endeavour. It is also an indication that the University of Abuja has come to lead Nigeria, we are telling our scholars that we must set an example as a University that others must see us as the model university to copy. We want to lead, we want to show that academic is not just about teaching and going home, but research is also fundamental to the University, resolving problem for the society is fundamental, we are having security challenges today, universities should be at the forefront in leading and we at the University of Abuja are doing that so today is for researchers and authors,” he said.
The Director of the Centre for Sponsored Project, University of Abuja, Professor Obiageli Nnodu said the University had organised series of workshops for scholars and researchers to empower them carry out critical research and win more grants both locally and internationally.
“It is the vision of the Vice Chancellor to take research to a new level; he established the University Research Council and this council is made up of eminent representatives from each faculty. He set up the accountability,transparency and accessibility system to make sure that scholars get grants and they execute the work with all the administrative support they require.
So the Centre for Sponsored Projects has come up with policies and checklists and all necessary policy documents to undergo quality research.Last year 37 persons applied for the national research fund,this year we had a major grantsmanship in August in which we brought 12 leaders across the nation to mentor and teach the rudiments of what it takes to write successful grants. People are inspired, they can see what they can adjust,focus and fine-tune their proposals to be able to win more grants and they are working more, they are publishing more,” he said.
Two of the medal recipients, Dr Godwin Akaba said his area of research is on maternal and perinatal health towards improving the quality of life of women and newborn and preventing death of mothers and newborn in lower middle income countries like Nigeria while Professor Kalu Dike Ojji said his focus is on hypertension,hypertensive heart failure with interest in developing the best way to treat heart failure in blacks especially those residing in Africa.
