The Nigerian Communications Commission [NCC] has presented N50million research grants to nine researchers from universities across the country.
Speaking at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja after he presented the award letters to the researchers, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta said the grants would go a long way in transforming the Nigerian telecom sector.
He also said it was in recognition of the role of the academia in the development of the telecom sector that NCC instituted the research proposal grant project.
While revealing how the researchers were selected, the EVC said in 2016, 56 proposals from the academia were selected but only three were chosen.
‘’In the year 2017, of the ninety six [96] received proposals, after stringent evaluations, six [6] proposals were also successful’’, he said.
He warned the researchers against showcasing research work or its prototype to any organisations or at any exhibition until the NCC receives it and sign off on it.
In his remark, the chairman of the inter-agency committee that selected the researchers, Prof Muhammad Muazu, said the process that produced the nine researchers was very thorough and transparent.
The breakdown of the N50 million grants is as follows; Prof Francis Waihala of Covenant University, Ota – N9.321m; Engr Mahmood Abdulhameed of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi – N5,916m; Dr Cyprian Anayochukwu of Enugu State University of Science and Technology – N1,381; Dr Olusegun Peter Awe of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife – N3.545m; Dr Suleiman Sani of Ahmadu Bello University [ABU] – N12.332m; and Dr Stella Orakwe of the University of Port-Harcourt – N5.265m.
Others are, Engr Oluseun Oyeleke of Nigerian Airforce Institute, Kaduna – N5m; Dr Kehinde Agbele of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo state and Prof SB Junaidu of ABU, Zaria- N6,995m.